Twenty garda recruits assigned to stations
By Aideen O'Flaherty
TWENTY new garda recruits have been assigned to stations around the county, the bulk of whom will take up posts at Tallaght Garda Station.
The new recruits, recently graduated from the Garda College in Templemore, have been assigned to a number of stations, including Tallaght, Ronanstown, Clondalkin, Sundrive Road and Ballyfermot.
Tallaght Garda station
Tallaght Garda Station is set to get eight new garda recruits, Clondalkin and Ronanstown will get four each, three new garda recruits have been assigned to Sundrive Road Garda Station in Crumlin, while one new recruit will be going to Ballyfermot Garda Station.
John Lahart, a Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-West who has held a number of policing meetings in his constituency, told The Echo: “Under the Confidence and Supply Arrangement we’ll aim to see 700 new garda recruits for Budget 2020.
“The number of gardai in the area is starting to move upwards, and now all areas have at least one community garda – that wasn’t the case a few years ago, but more are needed.
“Having more gardai on the beat is a positive move, and we hope to see an increase in the detection of crimes, and policing that’s more visible.
“The population in areas like Tallaght and Rathfarnham is increasing, so it’s good to see an increase in the number of gardai – but we need more visible community policing.”
In Budget 2020, which was released by the government last October, it was announced that the garda budget would be increased by €81m and an additional 700 new recruits will join An Garda Síochana next year.
