CARRIGALINE Garda Station should have longer opening hours and the town should have more gardaí, according to a local councillor.
Fine Gael Councillor Jack White was responding to the announcement from An Garda Síochána last week that a change of opening hours at Carrigaline Garda Station – a town with a population of almost 20,000 – will see the station open on just two weekdays, an every second Sunday.
The new fixed opening hours will see the station open every Tuesday from 12pm to 2pm, every Thursday from 12pm to 2pm and every second Sunday from 11am to 2pm.
As well as these hours, the station will be open two evenings a week between 5pm and 7pm, with these opening days confirmed a week in advance.
‘The clarity on the station opening hours provided by Garda management last week is welcome, but the truth is that we should have a station open much more,’ he told The Southern Star.
‘The gardaí working locally are exceptional, but we need more of them and we need the station open more. It seems sensible that a civilian staff member could man the office, instead of gardaí who are better utilised on patrol duty.’
Garda management say the Togher Garda Station is the nearest garda station providing a 24-hour service.
‘I will be writing to the new Minister for Justice to emphasise the need for more gardaí. I have already engaged extensively with Garda management to seek more resources for Carrigaline as well as Crosshaven and Passage West,’ said Cllr White.
He added that there will be a community policing meeting in Carrigaline sometime in February. ‘I encourage as many people as possible to attend and to relay their concerns to Garda management.’
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said there will continue to be policing in the Carrigaline community beyond the revised opening hours.
‘It is important to keep in mind that the opening hours of Garda Stations is not equivalent to the availability of gardaí patrolling in the community. Outside of these hours, gardaí continue to operate from these garda stations, are on patrol in their local communities and are available to respond to assist the public.’
They added that a provision of a mobile service is a priority for the Carrigaline area.
