Cavan-Monaghan): asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the situation whereby a garda recently transferred from Cootehill, County Cavan, has not been replaced and if he will have the Garda strength in Cootehill increased in view of the recent criminal activity in this area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cootehill (Cavan) Garda Strength.
8.
The Garda authorities have informed me that they consider that the present strength of Cootehill station is adequate for the needs of the area, having regard to other demands on Garda resources, and that there is no proposal at present to increase the strength of the station party there.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that the Cootehill Garda party are below full strength at the moment? Is the Minister also aware that within the past 12 months there have been two serious bank raids in Cootehill and, further, is the Minister aware that both the geographical position of the town and the width of the streets lend themselves to bank raids? In these circumstances, would the Minister not consider augmenting rather than reducing the Garda strength there?
I am aware of the matters raised by the Deputy in his supplementary question and the Garda are also aware of these. The Garda assure me that they are satisfied that the strength of the Cootehill party is adequate for the needs of the area. I am aware that one member of the station party was transferred on promotion, at his own request, the SDU in Dublin Castle and that the Garda did not allocate anybody since he left, to fill that vacancy.
I fully appreciate that there were two bank robberies in Cootehill, one is February of 1980 and one in August of 1979. The Deputy knows that a new station at Rockcorry was completed recently and that a garda was allocated there on 25 April—last week. I understand that a small portion of the Cootehill police area has been transferred to the Rockcorry Garda district. I shall ask the Garda Commissioner to have another look at the situation there to see whether or not with the resources available to him it would be possible to allocate another garda to that station.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I thank the Minister for agreeing to ask the Garda Commissioner to have another look at the situation, but I would ask him to do that in the light of recent events in Cootehill.
I accept that the Deputy has a good case.