EU presidency should not impact on local garda numbers - super

SECURITY requirements arising from Ireland’s presidency of the EU will not impact on Garda numbers in County Monaghan unless a situation of extreme emergency arises, Chief Superintendent Pat O’Connell assured last week’s meeting of the County Monaghan Joint Policing Committee.

The question about the possible impact of the EU presidency on local Garda manpower was posed by Cllr Sinéad Flynn, who welcomed the recent assignment of four newly sworn Gardaí to County Monaghan and asked if further personnel increases can be expected. “The LCSP will do everything we can to ensure you get additional resources to help you in your job in our communities,” she told the Garda representatives present at the meeting.

Supt O’Connell said policing for the EU presidency is being co-ordinated at national level and there were no significant Tier 1 or Tier 2 events scheduled in the County Monaghan area, although he believed Tier 3 or Tier 4 events are planned at the Peace Campus in Monaghan Town in October.

The senior garda said there will be a draw on Garda resources in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan to support operations in Dublin but any such requirement will be drawn from units that are resting and not working.

“I will not be releasing any members who are working that I need at local level to maintain our services unless it is an absolutely critical emergency,” the Superintendent told the meeting.

Welcoming the four additional gardaí assigned to the county, Superintendent O’Connell said three of them will be directly attached to Monaghan Town as currently Castleblayney and Carrickmacross are slightly better resourced than Monaghan. The other probationer will go to Carrickmacross.

The Superintendent said three 24-hour stations operated in Carrickmacross, Castleblayney and Monaghan Town and Gardaí are strategically placed for emergency response when required, which should give the public a certain amount of reassurance. They also have access to the Armed Support Unit when necessary.

Supt O’Connell paid tribute to the work of Inspector Colm McNally in Carrickmacross and Inspector Damian Martin in Monaghan and their frontline teams, and the efforts of the Road Policing Unit, noting that they have a very busy stretch of the N2 in the county and a large volume of traffic passing through.

“We are looking for additional resources for County Monaghan and I am continually engaging with Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern in that regard,” the Superintendent added.