Rural area deserves to keep garda station

IN these times of austerity can anyone explain why the Government is spending €80,000 on a building and decides to stop using it even though the builders are still on site?

That’s what’s happening with Loughglynn Garda Station which they decided to close on Monday. This wanton waste is frightening, especially as the running costs of the station are less than €4,000 per annum. I believe this work is the equivalent of the running costs of Loughglynn Garda Station for 20 years.

To add further insult to the community, the Office of Public Works are making the garda station wheelchair accessible. However, this money amounts to nothing as they have decided to remove the wheelchair ramp from their plans. The Loughglynn garda sub district is more than 80 square miles and for this community to lose its dedicated garda is ill-conceived, anti-rural and wasteful. I want the department to carry out an immediate review of the spending by Alan Shatter in providing static garda posts at the homes of some of his former political cronies where the likes of Bertie Ahern, John Bruton, Liam Cosgrave, Brian Cowen and others can have a permanent garda presence at their homes, at more than the cost of providing the communities of rural Ireland with a dedicated garda. If Mr Cosgrave, who has not been in cabinet for almost 35 years, can have gardaí, why can’t the total population of the Loughglynn garda sub district have just one dedicated garda?

Hugh Lynn

Loughglynn

Castlerea

Co Roscommon