Work ongoing to set up local Garda dog unit

Garda dogs could become a familiar site on the streets of Cavan. Work is ongoing on the setting up of a dedicated dog unit in the local Garda district.

There have been frequent calls for the specialist unit to be set up in Cavan to aid in drug searches and tackling other forms of criminality.

Aontú Councillor Sarah O’Reilly again urged that one be set up at the meeting of Cavan Joint Policing Committee last Friday.

Superintendent Padraic Jones said planning had been ongoing on the setting up of a dog unit in the Cavan-Monaghan Division, but this had stalled due to the pandemic.

He said the training of dogs, which he described as the most lengthy part of the process, was ongoing. It can take up to 16 weeks to train a dog.

Bailieborough Superintendent Gordon Englishby said he expected the unit to be operational shortly. He said the internal competition for members to join had reopened.

Supt Jones told JPC members that while there was no dedicated dog unit locally at the moment, the national unit based in Dublin could be called upon if needed for a local operation.

There are currently only three dog units operating in the country - in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Among the operations using dogs are drug detection operations, to locate missing people and in the detection of explosives.