New Garda support staff expected for local stations

THERE are intentions that Rathcoole Garda Station will be “staffed appropriately” over the coming months following ongoing concerns surrounding resources.

In May, The Echo reported that there were concerns surrounding resources at Rathcoole Garda Station, with Superintendent Anthony Twomey stating that there are “ongoing challenges that are being addressed”.

Due to Rathcoole experiencing a rapid increase in population in recent years, there have been calls for the garda station to be open full-time and to increase garda numbers in the area.

Currently, Rathcoole Garda Station is a sub-district station, open to the public between 10am to 6pm daily.

One solution that was highlighted at the recent Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting to tackle these issues is the possibility of allocating garda support staff, who are staff of An Garda Síochána to help man the phones at the station and are currently in place in Blanchardstown and Finglas.

Deputy Emer Higgins, who raised the question at the meeting surrounding the possibility said that they are currently looking at hiring these support staff for Rathcoole.

She said: “Superintendent Twomey said that they expect to be able to announce potentially two new garda support staff for the Clondalkin area in the coming weeks.”

According to Deputy Higgins, it is not confirmed as of yet whether these two support staff will be based in Rathcoole Garda station as they were announced for the jurisdiction which includes Clondalkin and Ronanstown.

Deputy Higgins added: “We have four community Gardai in Rathcoole Garda Station who are all fantastic and have made a massive difference to the area.

“One of the things that I raised at the meeting was that they came from the general force and will they be going back, so he did say that there are 12 new Gardai coming to our jurisdiction this week and in two months’ time they expect to get a new cohort from Templemore.”

On the back of the JPC meeting in May, it was confirmed that a submission will be sent to management comparing Rathcoole Garda Station to other stations of similar numbers for comparison of resources.

Following this case comparison, at the JPC meeting on Friday, September 17, Lucan Supt Paul Dolan said that the new staff will go to Rathcoole, but it is a matter of waiting for the allocation of the latest recruitment process.

He said: “The intention is to staff Rathcoole, it is in hand, we are utilising the process, we have to wait for resources the Chief Superintendent allocates to Superintendent’s.

“There is a competition for resources at the moment between Blanchardstown and Clondalkin.”