As thousands of extra families descend on North Wexford for the summer months, causing a huge population explosion, there are local concerns about the declining number of Gardaí available to maintain adequate levels of law and order.
With the amalgamation of Gorey and Enniscorthy Garda Districts due to be implemented before the end of the year – November 11th – a Gorey District member of Wexford County Council brought a motion before Monday’s monthly meeting yesterday calling on the Minister of Justice to allocate more Gardaí to Co. Wexford.
Cllr. Malcolm Byrne tabled a motion that Wexford County Council call upon the Minister for Justice and Defence to recommence Garda recruitment and to ensure an adequate number of Gardaí are allocated to police the county.
“There has been a significant decline in numbers,” said Cllr. Byrne, who added, “This county has now one of the lowest number of Gardaí per capita in the country.”
Wexford Garda Division is sub-divided into four Districts – Wexford, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey.
In overall charge is a Chief Superintendent while each District has a Superintendent.
Each District also has an Inspector together with Sergeants, Gardai, Civilians and Reserve Gardai.
In November, Gorey will lose its status as a District and will come under the control of the Superintendent based in Enniscorthy.
Gorey will no longer have a Superintendent, Inspector and civilian staff will be relocated around the new super district of Enniscorthy.
Seamus Delahunty, a former Garda who spent over 30 years in the Force and one of the leaders of the Save Gorey Garda District campaign, questions the future of policing.
“Why this amalgamation is going ahead is beyond comprehension. When one looks at the population, crime (burglaries), ratio of Gardai to population of North Wexford, it does not make sense.
“We are told that it will free up Gardai from desk duties and improve efficiencies in the delivery of the policing service currently provided within the Wexford Garda Division.
“This could have been done without the downgrading of Gorey to a sub-station of Enniscorthy.”
In an address to retired members of An Garda Siochana recently, the Garda Commissioner stated that he was put under pressure to close more Garda Stations, but he resisted and no more Garda Stations will close while he is Commissioner.
Full story in THE GOREY ECHO out today.
