Mayo Fianna Fáil councillor says he has no confidence in Garda Commissioner

A SENIOR member of Mayo County Council and former Chair of the Joint Policing Committee says he has no confidence in the Garda Commission Drew Harris.

The state of policing in Mayo was discussed at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council where councillors expressed concern at the absence of a Superintendent in the county and the scrapping of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) in favour of Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP).

Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell, who was the last chair of the Mayo Joint Policing Committee said that he was not surprised that the rank and file of An Garda Síochána expressed no confidence in Commissioner Harris as he too does not have any in him.

“We invited the Commissioner to a packed meeting [of the JPC in 2019] in Breaffy House and I did my best to assist him but he was not listening to me or anyone else. He took notes in the corner of a page which gave me an indication he wasn't that concerned about what was happening. He never responded to any of the serious issues highlighted on the day or acknowledged the meeting took place. It was a PR exercise and it is no wonder his colleagues expressed a vote of no confidence in him. I have absolutely no confidence whatsoever in the man,” he said.

Cllr McDonnell added that is convinced the decision to get rid of the JPCs came from the Commissioner and his team and that he doesn't want to engage with elected representatives.

The meeting heard that there is no Superintendent currently stationed in Mayo after Supt Alan Brady who was stationed in Ballina has transferred back to Dublin after just a year in north Mayo. Chief Supt Ray McMahon who is in charge of the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division is based in Longford.

Crossmolina-based councillor Michael Loftus raised the policing issue in Mayo where he expressed concern that the county is being left behind in terms of policing and felt the new policing model was ruining the county.

“I want a return of our Chief Superintendent in Mayo and a return of our six Superintendents. Mayo, Roscommon and Longford are the only three county divisions in An Garda Siochana at the moment so what is that saying about our public representatives and what are they doing about it.

“The JPC was our only route in dealing with An Garda Siochana who are working here in Mayo. I think it is an absolute disgrace and disrespectful to every councillor in this country that it [LCSP] was allowed to go through. I know it was highlighted by us and we were promised something would be done but nothing was done,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil councillor called for Commissioner Harris and Minister of Justice, Helen McEntee to attend a meeting of the council to explain the new policing model.

He was supported by Independent councillor Mark Duffy who said the current policing model was another example of centralisation and autonomy being taken away from local authorities.