Gardaí are ‘at breaking point and no longer equipped to protect rural areas’

Gardaí are “at their wits’ end, demoralised, and at breaking point, and no longer equipped to protect large swathes of rural areas” because of cutbacks.

That is the claim by the president of the Garda Representative Association, which represents 11,200 frontline gardaí.

John Parker said that rank-and-file gardaí were operating on “a shoestring budget” and in many cases were not carrying out “anti-crime patrols in rural areas” in order to preserve the ageing fleet of vehicles.