An Garda Síochána has defended its closure of 100 stations across the country including five here in Donegal.
In reaction to national newspaper reports today on another €10M cut from the policing budget, Gardai in Dublin issued its Policing Plan 2013 swhich ets out the details of the Garda station closures approved by the Minister for Justice and Equality.
The statement said: “A total of one hundred Garda stations will close in 2013. The closure of these Garda stations will be on a phased basis with the stations included in the first phase closing on the 31st January 2013.
“The Garda District and Station Consolidation programme is one of the current strategic organisation development programmes being undertaken by An Garda Síochána, and seeks to build on the efficiencies that have been achieved to date.
“The Garda District and Station Consolidation Programme provides for effectiveness and efficiencies through a programme of restructuring and reconfiguration of our service delivery methods, concomitant with changes to work practices within the new rostering arrangements already introduced.
“The revised structures will continue to support our community policing philosophy through the clustering of services at policing hubs. The centralisation of services will facilitate the introduction of an enhanced grid patrolling system that will be operational and intelligence led.
“This patrol system will ensure that a high visibility and community oriented policing service continues to be delivered throughout the country and will yield the following benefits:
# Increased Garda visibility and patrol hours
# Increased mobility and flexibility within an area resulting in an improved policing service to the public.
# Enhanced co-ordination of Garda activity resulting in a greater visibility and presence in the communities.
# More effective use of limited resources across a wider area.
# Continued Garda presence in communities.
Details of the 95 Garda stations set to close on the 31st January 2013 and the Sub-Districts that will deliver the policing service to the area currently policed from these stations can be found on www.garda.ie
