‘Absolute confidence’ in gardaí in Mayo – McDonnell

Edwin McGreal

Mayo’s gardaí are performing to such a standard that the county will be unlikely to trouble the newly formed Policing Authority, according to local politicians.
Speaking at the Mayo Joint-Policing Committee quarterly meeting in Ballinrobe recently, the comments were made after a presentation by Margaret Tumelty of the Policing Authority on the role of the authority.
Ms Tumelty outlined the authority’s oversight role over An Garda Siochana.
Responding, Cllr Al McDonnell (FF) said there were little issues in Mayo for the authority to be worried about.
“Gardaí in Mayo are held in very high esteem,” he said. “Your intervention in many counties is relevant but in most headings you presented, there is general satisfaction in this county.
“Additional resources for gardaí is the only area where help is needed. In general there is absolute confidence in management structures and the operation of An Garda Siochana in this county,” added Cllr McDonnell.
Willie Nolan, a member of the JPC and former Ballina town councillor, said the closure of rural stations had an impact in Mayo.
“For such a large county like Mayo, the closure of rural stations has had a massive effect on the force as has the recruitment embargo. It would be remiss not to mention the Trojan work done by gardaí in Mayo in those circumstances,” said Mr Nolan.
Cllr Michael Loftus (FF) asked if the Policing Authority was ‘another quango’. He critcised the treatment of former garda commissioners Martin Callinan and Noreen O’Sullivan.
“Both commissioners were hounded out of their positions by politicians. They were two good police people,” he said.
He also said drink driving laws were more prohibitive in rural areas lacking public transport compared to larger, urban centres.
It was a point taken up by Cllr Damien Ryan (FF), with regard to plans by Minister for Transport Shane Ross to reduce drink driving limits.
“I’ve no issue with Shane Ross but when we’ve a public transport system outside our door like he has outside his door in Dublin, we’ll agree with him,” he said.
Cllr Christy Hyland (Ind), a former garda himself, said he is ‘a huge supporter of the Policing Authority’.
He cited a plethora of assault cases on gardaí where none of the defendants received a prison sentence and asked ‘are we supporting gardaí’? In response to praise of An Garda Siochana, Margaret Tumelty said Ireland was ‘unique in the esteem in which its police are held’.
“In Ireland we can police by consent. Gardaí, generally, are not armed and there is trust and confidence and esteem in gardaí,” she said.