Concerns have been raised over the ongoing absence of a Garda Superintendent in the Letterkenny region.
The issue was raised in a statement issued by Donegal Sinn Féin TDs Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Deputy Pearse Doherty today
Letterkenny has been without a permanent Garda Superintendent since Goretti Sheridan (pictured above) left the position to take up the role as Chief Superintendent for the county.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said “Last month, we raised concerns over the changing of Garda boundaries in Donegal to just two. There are reasons why we have such grave concerns over the minimising of Garda presence in the county.
“This is best exemplified by the fact that the position of Garda Superintendent in Donegal’s biggest urban centre, Letterkenny, has still not been filled since Chief Superintendent Sheridan was promoted back in February.”
Sinn Fein also claim that there are also 42 less Gardaí working in Donegal than there were just back in 2020, with numbers falling year on year.
“Of all the new intake of Gardaí this year only one has been stationed in Donegal. In comparison, 100 have been sent to Dublin. This is simply unacceptable particularly given the unique challenges Gardaí face in Donegal.
“We are a large rural landmass and have a number of ports and islands that present significant difficulties in policing. We also have Gaeltacht areas that require distinct considerations.
“Furthermore, almost our entire border is shared with a separate jurisdiction and Donegal borders Derry City; the fourth largest city on this island.”
Deputy Doherty added “Rank-and-file Gardaí in Donegal are stretched to the limit and something must be done.
“The Commissioner must listen to the people of Donegal and stop the trend of Donegal being last on his list of priorities.
“Deputy Mac Lochlainn and I have written to the Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice to raise with them the issues of falling Garda numbers and the failure to fill the position of Letterkenny Superintendent.
“We have stressed the urgency of getting someone in place given the pressures that are currently placed upon Gardaí in Donegal.”
