Gardaí reject report of declining numbers in Mayo town
Claremorris Gardaí have denied reports that the number of officers assigned to the district fell sharply during 2024.
A recent article in a national newspaper suggested that the number of Gardaí at Claremorris Station had fallen by 12 in the past year.
“This is not the case, and I don’t know where this number came from,” a Garda source told the . “Gardaí are often switched between different stations or assigned to different tasks and might be recorded differently, but the numbers at Claremorris station remain the same as they were. Gardaí retire or are transferred, but they have always been replaced immediately.”
Independent Cllr Richard Finn confirmed that Garda numbers haven’t changed in Claremorris but highlighted the problem of Garda retention despite the current high-profile recruitment campaign.
“Gardaí allocated to Dublin, for example, cannot stay in the force, because they cannot find or afford accommodation there,” Cllr Finn said. “And it’s not just Dublin."
Patsy O’Brien, another independent councillor, said that while the core number of Gardaí in Claremorris hadn’t gone down, it hadn’t gone up either.
“I have been talking with senior Gardaí and I can confirm that the numbers haven’t dropped,” Cllr O’Brien said. “While I would like to see more Gardaí in the community, it is vital that we keep the numbers we have.”
Aontú Cllr Deirdre Lawless said that any drop in the number of Gardaí on the ground is of huge concern to both communities and Gardaí themselves.
“While drugs and traffic units are important, we cannot lose our gardaí from the beat,” Cllr Lawless said. “We need to see more Gardaí on the streets, not less. We need proactive measures, not reactive ones. We need our gardaí to be visible for our towns and villages to be and feel safer.”
Fine Gael Cllr Alma Gallagher said that she raised Garda numbers at a meeting with Commissioner Drew Harris recently.
“I highlighted to him that the Claremorris Local Electoral Area needed a stronger Garda presence coupled with extended station hours to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our residents,” Cllr Gallagher said. “Currently, Claremorris is the only full-time station serving the entire east and south Mayo area and it is becoming increasingly overstretched. The decision to downsize rural substations like Ballyhaunis is extremely shortsighted. We need more Garda numbers, not less.”
