Minister’s visit seen as ‘missed opportunity’

When Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan arrived in Cavan last Friday, November 7, expectations were high his visit might bring renewed attention - and perhaps commitment - to the county’s stretched policing resources. His itinerary included a tour of the new Bailieborough Garda Station, still under construction; a visit to Cavan Garda Station, and a meeting with members of Cavan County Council’s Housing Department.

But among the elected ranks of Cavan County Council, the Minister’s trip was soon being described as a “missed opportunity”.

At the November meeting of Cavan County Council on Monday, several voiced disappointment that the visit failed to address what they see as a growing crisis in local policing - rising crime rates, declining garda numbers, and dwindling morale across the force.

Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady was among the first to express her frustration, calling it “a bad lost opportunity”, lamenting not only the absence of a domestic violence refuge in Cavan but also the steady erosion of garda numbers in her own hometown of Cootehill.

“A sergeant and two gardaí have left,” she said. “They haven’t been replaced.”

Her party colleague Trevor Smith painted a similar picture.

Kilnaleck Garda Station, once feared to be slated for closure, now opens only intermittently, used largely for paperwork.

The discussion stemmed from a motion tabled by Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady, who called on the council to write to Minister O’Callaghan to request more gardaí for the county.

Recent research by Long & Co ranked Cavan among the least safe counties in Ireland between 2020 and 2025. Last year alone, more than 1,600 incidents of theft and assault were investigated across the Cavan–Monaghan division.

Cllr Brady argued that falling numbers on the beat were leaving communities increasingly vulnerable. Garda staffing levels have fallen sharply - from 19 to 16 gardaí in Ballyconnell, from six to two in Belturbet, and from 77 to 62 in Cavan Town - and he urged the government to boost recruitment and raise training allowances to match the minimum wage.

Without decisive action, he warned: “Criminals and drug dealers will have a free-for-all.”

Adding to the sense of frustration was the fate of Bawnboy Garda Station, once promised for reopening but now listed for sale.

Cllr Brady voiced fears that policing in Cavan might soon mirror the overstretched ambulance service, with units dispatched from as far away as Finglas to respond to urgent emergencies.

Fianna Fáil’s Patricia Walsh supported the motion, stressing the need for renewed investment in Community Policing units, which she regards as tangible and effective.

She also criticised the government’s decision to disband Joint Policing Committees (JPCs), which are to be replaced by Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs).

“Drugs are a serious issue all over the county,” she added. “They’re a scourge on society.”

Independent councillor Brendan Fay also echoed the concerns, warning that morale within the garda ranks was “at an all-time low”. In that regard he welcomed the recent appointment of Justin Kelly as Garda Commissioner, expressing cautious hope for “a positive direction going forward”.

His broader criticism though lay with the three-county policing model encompassing Cavan, Monaghan, and Louth.

“It’s a long way from Blacklion to Drogheda,” he remarked pointedly. “Our local gardaí are not getting taken care of.”

Independent Ireland’s Shane P. O’Reilly concluded the debate with a familiar refrain - that Minister O’Callaghan’s visit had indeed been a “missed opportunity”.

He argued that local representatives should have pressed the Minister on “decision-making” and on why policing resources appear increasingly concentrated in Louth.

“The Minister and his department need to be asked why this area is continuously getting low numbers,” he said.