'Disturbing' incident of vandalism is condemned

A man was arrested in Ballyhaunis last week following a "disturbing" incident of vandalism at a premises in the town, prompting calls for the local Garda station to be fully reinstated.

A Garda spokesperson said officers arrested the man following the incident last Monday evening. He was later released and they are continuing their investigations.

“Gardaí attended an incident of criminal damage that occurred at approximately 8:30pm on St Gerald’s Court, Ballyhaunis.

“One man aged in his 30s was arrested in connection with this incident and has since been released and is due to appear before court at a later date."

A video of the incident circulated on social media. The building has commercial space downstairs and residential accommodation upstairs. 

Áontú local election candidate Paul Lawless described the incident as "disturbing and brazen".

“The people of Ballyhaunis were subjected to some disturbing scenes of vandalism in the town. In broad daylight, a vandal brazenly stoned the windows of a premises on the town’s main street in full view of many onlookers and passersby."

Mr Lawless said this incident was another example of an increasing crime level across the east and south Mayo region. He said there was a correlation between a "shrinking" Garda force and this increasing crime level and called for local Garda stations to be reopened full-time.

“Last year, just one Garda recruit was appointed to Mayo despite many Gardaí across the county retiring and resignations in the force never as high. The running down of rural substations such as Ballyhaunis was wrong. Ballyhaunis and Ballinrobe should be reinstated to full-time Garda stations. 

"Claremorris Station, which is the only full-time station in the entire east and south of the county, is overstretched, covering a region from Cong to Ballyhaunis and Knock.”