Explosion of Tallaght population means an extra Garda station is urgently needed
By Mary Dennehy
THE age-old argument that Tallaght needs a second Garda station is back on the political radar, with one local councillor identifying what he believes is a suitable location for another Garda base, reports Mary Dennehy.
For well over a decade, many politicians have raised the need for a second Garda station in Tallaght based on its population of more than 100,000 people and its sprawling landscape.
The same landscape includes built-up social and private estates, apartment blocks, large retail and industrial areas, a hospital, Institute of Technology, Luas, District Court, rural community, major road networks and more – which brings with it a host of diverse social, economic and cultural elements.
Calls for a second station are also based on crime stats, which, reflective of the area’s size, make Tallaght Garda station one of the busiest in the country.
This week Renua Ireland councillor Ronan McMahon said that the latest crime stats show a “compelling case” for a second Garda station in Tallaght.
He said: “The latest stark crime statistics prove beyond doubt that Tallaght and surrounding areas now needs a second Garda station.
“In Tallaght, the most recent statistics reveal that 2,268 burglary, robbery and theft crimes were committed to date in 2015, with the latest crime statistics for the DMR Southern Division, which includes Tallaght, Rathfarnham, Terenure and Crumlin, revealing that 44 per cent of reported incidents in the division are in Tallaght.
“The detection rates are also higher in Tallaght, but the question has to be asked whether the lack of a second station in Tallaght is encouraging crime.”
He added: “The Gardaí are doing a superb job, as indicated by the high detection rates, but they are faced with a tsunami of petty crime that is doing real damage to the quality of life of decent citizens.
“Tallaght is losing out time and time again when it comes to infrastructural issues.
“It is time to stop criminals thinking they have a free pass when it comes to Tallaght by declaring that a second station will be built and providing a date for its completion.”
Cllr McMahon has suggested that a second station could be built on the council-owned site beside the leisure centre on Fortunestown Way or else on land south of the Dodder, towards Ballycullen, which, the focus of much development in recent years, is the furthest away from the existing station. When contacted by The Echo, the Department of Justice said that the opening of Garda stations is a matter for the Garda Commissioner.
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