Call for the Minister to clarify the status of Santry Garda station
Published on: 15 January 2016
Fianna Fáil Press Office
Cllr Paul McAuliffe
Dublin North-West
15 January 2016
Call for the Minister to clarify the status of Santry Garda station
Fianna Fáil Candidate for Dublin North West Cllr Paul McAuliffe has called on the Minister for Justice to clarify the future status of Santry Garda Station after he was approached by two serving members of the force who reported that the station is set to be downgraded as part of changes in north Dublin.
“Two members of the Gardaí have approached me about a proposal by the Garda Commissioner to further downgrade Santry Garda Station which was put on reduced hours in 2013 when the Minster decided to also close nearby Whitehall station. The closure and reduction of opening hours has been a major issue in the area and many older people have said they feel less safe, particularly in the Whitehall area where the station has been closed altogether. Many residents link the 2014 spike in burglary in the area with the closure of the Whitehall station and while special operations and the hard work of Gardaí has reduced that figure in 2015, any further closures would be greeted with concern.
“Given these changes, I am calling on the Minister to issue a clear statement on the future of Santry Garda Station. Local people are fearful that any further changes will lead to a closure of the public office leaving the station as an administrative centre only. I understand that a unit from Harcourt Street will be moved to the Santry station as part of the changes and planning permission for work at the station has been lodged. However, it is the public office which local people will be most concerned about and the Minister must address these concerns.
“We need to support rank and file Gardaí in the work they do. We need to provide them with adequate protection equipment and basic technology to allow them carry out their work. I support the Fianna Fáil plan to increase numbers by 1500 which would go some way to taking the pressure of those Gardaí who serve to protect us,” added Cllr McAuliffe.
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