Investment needed in Cavan as Gardaí face unmanageable workloads

Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly has called for urgent investment in Cavan, warning that falling Garda numbers are placing unmanageable pressure on local officers and undermining community safety.

Her comments follow a Long & Co report ranking Cavan as the second least safe county in Ireland, after Dublin.

Between 2019 and 2025, Garda numbers in the Cavan–Monaghan–Louth region dropped by 11%, from 635 to 565. “When Garda numbers fall, communities feel it,” Sen O’Reilly said. “There are fewer patrols, longer response times, and Gardaí under increasing strain.”

Cavan Gardaí dealt with nearly 22,000 reported crimes between 2020 and 2025, a figure Sen O’Reilly says reflects how overstretched the force has become. She emphasised that while most officers are working tirelessly, they are being let down by a lack of government support.

“Cavan is not unsafe—it’s a proud, close-knit county—but that community spirit needs backing,” she said. “We need properly staffed stations, investment in local policing, and real support for the people protecting our communities.”