Fiery exchanges as ex-detective condemns new policing model
Cllr Al McDonnell, left, and Cllr Christy Hyland, right, exchanged some cross words at last week's Joint Policing Committee meeting.
The redeployment of Gardaí from Mayo to Dublin led to heated exchanges at Mayo's Joint Policing Committee when the chair threatened to abandon the meeting after it was angrily claimed it was leaving the county short of manpower.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told the Oireachtas hearing last week that Gardaí 'from as far away as Mayo’ were drafted in to support their colleagues following riots in the capital on Thursday, November 23.
Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh asked Chief Superintendent Raymond McMahon at Friday’s Joint Policing Committee meeting if Gardaí were sent from Mayo and how prepared we were in this county to deal with similar criminal activity.
Deputy Conway Walsh said she had no confidence in how the "systems were being run" within An Garda Síochána.
Chair Cllr Al McDonnell intervened and told Deputy Conway-Walsh he did not believe the situation in Dublin came under the remit of the Mayo JPC, however, she and Westport-based Cllr Christy Hyland strongly disagreed with that assertion.
“If the guards in Mayo go to Dublin next weekend yes it has to be discussed here. I don’t know what planet you are living on chairman,” said Cllr Hyland, a former detective. “We won’t have guards in Mayo, they’re going to be in Dublin for the Christmas.”
The Westport-based Independent representative then advised Cllr McDonnell to educate himself and stressed the county was losing Gardaí.
"We are losing guards here. We won't have them for Christmas, will you waken up and don’t be like some of the clowns in Dáil Éireann," he added.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Damien Ryan urged Cllr Hyland to show some respect for the chair before Cllr McDonnell threatened to abandon the meeting unless things settled down.
Chief Supt McMahon answered Deputy Conway-Walsh’s questions moments later and said he was confident the adequate resources were in place in Mayo.
“We have a fully trained and equipped public order unit and management and supervisors have been trained and had refresher training in recent weeks and months in relation to the policing of protests,” he added.
Chief Supt McMahon confirmed they had sent some personnel for a short period to Dublin.
“In relation to national level and members of An Garda Siochana from Mayo going up, we sent a very small few on the Friday and Saturday night (November 24 and 25) on overtime, not taking from any resources we have for policing here, just to assist our colleagues. A lot have been ready and willing to go,” he said.
“None of those have taken from our resources from Mayo and we are dealing with numbers of between four and 70 from the entire county.” Cllr
Hyland told the afterward he had received complaints from business owners concerned they had seen 'no Gardaí on the beat’ during some busy weekends.
“I know there are guards going up to Dublin between now and Christmas,” he said. “This is the new policing model and I’m condemning it, it’s absolutely ridiculous."
