The Garda Commissioner is to visit Donegal early in the New Year to discuss the challenges facing the force locally.
Drew Harris has confirmed with members of the Joint Policing Committee that he will meet them on January 16th at County House in Lifford.
It followed renew calls for Ireland’s most senior Garda to come to the county.
Commissioner Harris did attend the scene of the Creeslough tragedy in October but that visit was solely for that purpose.
Chairperson of the JPC, Councillor Gerry McMonagle has been lobbying Commissioner Harris to meet the committee for a number of months now.
He says Commissioner Harris will receive a warm welcome when he comes to Donegal.
However, he stressed that he will also be briefed on the many challenges facing both the Gardai and the community in Donegal.
Colr Gerry McMonagle, chair of the JPC addressing the audience at the Garda Youth Awards in Lifford. (NW Newspix)
Councillor McMonagle told Donegal Daily “First of all I am delighted that the Commissioner has finally found time to come to Donegal as we have been lobbying him for a long time to come.
“He is obviously going to be talking about the new policing model that An Garda Siochana is implementing and it will be good to hear his take on it.
“It will also give us an opportunity to raise the concerns about personnel and resources here in the county and I know other JPC members are looking forward to the meeting,” he said.
Councillor McGonagle said it is important that if the Commissioner has confidence in the new model that he comes and articulates it and reassures the people of Donegal that they will remain “safe and sound.”
He added “It is no secret that we (the JPC) would not be very favourable towards the new policing model and that we would rather see Donegal remain as a ‘stand alone’ division and not to be bedded in with both Sligo and Leitrim.
“That said we will give it fair wind when it is rolled out.
But he added “People have to remember we are a large geographic county and 97% of our county border is with the six counties.
“Cross-border crime is rampant and the people of Donegal have top be protected from that and the only way to do that is with adequate resources within our police force.”
