Plan to shut garda station opposed

MEMBERS of a town council have vowed to fight proposals to close a garda station at night, despite garda management claims that the move will offer them a better service.

The mayor of Youghal, Co Cork, said yesterday he would organise an emergency meeting of the town council to discuss proposals to close the

local station from 10pm to 6am from August 25. Mayor Seán Ring (FF) said the station stays open on 24-hour basis in the busy seaside resort.

“We’ve a very large population and this downgrading of the station doesn’t make sense,” Mr Ring said.

He said other 24-hour garda stations in Co Cork which had smaller populations to cover than Youghal were not being downgraded.

“If somebody has a problem after 10pm, they’ll have no place to go. There is genuine concern in the town at present and we will do everything in our power to stop it,” he said.

He was supported by fellow councillor and local businessman Sammy Revins. “Our town is big and, like other towns, we have hassle after pubs and nightclubs close. A couple of months ago garda reinforcements had to come from Fermoy and Midleton to quell a row,” said Cllr Revins.

Town clerk Liam Ryan was equally adamant that the proposal was unacceptable. “If somebody is arrested in Youghal at night they will have to be taken to Midleton, and while the patrol car is gone, there will be no garda presence in the town,” he said.

He said the population of the greater Youghal area was about 10,000 but during the busy holiday season it swelled to a figure in excess of 14,000. “We understand that five local gardaí have retired in the last number of months and their positions have not been filled. In our opinion, closing the station at night is a retrograde step which shouldn’t take place,” said Mr Ryan.

Junior Minister Michael Ahern said he had voiced his concern with Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

“I made it clear to the minister that I wanted an increase in garda numbers. I cannot accept that a station in a large centre of population like Youghal will be closed at night,” said Mr Ahern.

A senior garda spokesman said so few people called in person to the garda station at night that it didn’t warrant keeping it open.

“The idea is to enhance the service to the public. We will be able to free-up manpower and have people out patrolling the area,” said the spokesman.