Deputy Bell has been given permission to raise on the Adjournment the question of the alleged downgrading of the Louth-Meath Garda headquarters.
Adjournment Debate. - Louth-Meath Garda Headquarters Appointment.
I want to place on the record of the House that my reason for raising this matter is not due to any discussion that I have had with any member of the Garda Síochána at any level but it is due entirely to the subject matter of the article in the Drogheda Independent of last week which was headed: “Anger as Garda Chief is moved”. The article goes on to spell out a number of things to which would like to refer. I want also to place on record that it is not in any way a reflection on the Garda Commissioner.
I want to say at the outset also that I welcome the proposed appointment of Chief Superintendent John J. Nolan to Dundalk to take charge, I understand, of special appointments as also reported in the Drogheda Independent of last week. Anything that can be done as far as I am concerned to improve security on the Border is welcome. As one who has served for over 29 years in the Defence Forces of the State in the Border area I know and appreciate the problems there. Any strengthening of security as far as Dundalk is concerned would be welcomed by me and indeed by all the people in County Louth.
I also want to place on record that we welcome the appointment of Superintendent Faughnan to replace Superintendent Jack Keogh who retired having served in Drogheda. I should like to say to the Minister that much concern has been expressed at the reported proposal to transfer Chief Superintendent Owen Giblin who has only two years to go before reaching retiring age. The people of Drogheda and of County Louth and County Meath know he has given good and loyal service to the State and is highly respected in the Force and by the public at large having served in Drogheda on a previous occasion.
A great deal of disquiet has been expressed at the very shabby way another good officer of the division, namely, Superintendent Michael Bohan, a former neighbour of mine, was treated. People are saying these officers were set up for internal political reasons. That is the way people are thinking. Public confidence in the administration of the force and the morale of the force must be restored by the Minister and by Dáil Éireann. It has been suggested to me that these two officers are being slapped for the second time, perhaps because of their close association with the former Commissioner. I do not know whether this is true, but this type of talk is going around and this is the place for these matters to be raised so that the air can be cleared and the Minister can make a clear cut statement on the matter.
I must now ask if it is not long-standing policy in the Garda Síochána over many years not to appoint a senior officer in his home area. Is the office of chief superintendent to be retained in Drogheda? It is felt that the appointment of Chief Superintendent Nolan on the Border area is for a specific reason. As I said in my opening remarks, I welcome that. Will a long-standing promise to replace the old divisional headquarters building in Drogheda with a new divisional headquarters be honoured? I wish to remind the Minister that at least three of the more recent Governments publicity promised the force and the people of Drogheda, Louth and Meath that this replacement building would be provided and that funds had on at least one occasion been provided for the site.
As Mayor of Drogheda, together with the town clerk, I worked very actively to secure the Murdoch site for the express purpose of giving part of the site to the Garda for the provision of a new divisional headquarters and to provide much needed car parking. The moneys were provided in the Estimates in 1985 and 1986 but were never used for the building, I understand, because, of delays in having the site transferred and other matters of delay that were unexpected at the time. I must now ask the Minister if this proposed transfer and the continuing delay in giving sanction to the building of the new divisional headquarters are part of an overall plan to down grade Drogheda once again. If this is the policy, what will happen to the services that go with the divisional headquarters? Where will they be transferred to? I understand all other stations in the Louth-Meath divisional area, Dundalk included, are, to say the least, antiquated and over-crowded.
The talk around Drogheda is that if these things can happen to senior officers, what chance have other ranks? The Garda do a very good job, with ever-reducing and limited resources, in protecting the public and giving loyal service to the State. Collectively we must protect their interests also and ensure that they get fair play. I am raising this matter to express the disquiet and feelings of the people in the County Louth and County Meath area. Drogheda has been the pivotal position of the divisional headquarters of Louth and Meath since the foundation of the force. It is centrally located in the division. It is easily accessible from each area and the proposed new building would be located on the main road from Drogheda to Dundalk, Drogheda to Navan and Drogheda to Balbriggan and on the most suitable site for the new divisional headquarters.
Drogheda has lost a number of things over the years. This was one we were sure we would not lose because of the many promises made by successive Ministers and Governments. I will be horrified if once again a very important development for the town of Drogheda is whisked away to whatever other area might be designated to take this new divisional headquarters. We are also very concerned about disquiet within the force which has been expressed to me on many occasions. If what I fear were to happen, that would only add to that disquiet.
I understand that a colleague of mine wishes to say a few words on this subject and, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I will be happy to give him whatever is left of my time.
Deputy Dermot Ahern. I should advise the Deputy that I will be calling on the Minister for Justice to reply at 10.37 p.m.
I thank my colleague Deputy Bell for allowing me the opportunity to come in on this Adjournment debate on this topic. I am also glad he has raised this issue so that at least some matters may be clarified. I would like to echo his sentiments. There is some disquiet in my constituency about a number of newspaper reports in particular on what is happening in the area.
I congratulate the Minister and the Garda authorities on the good job that has been done in recent times. I understand the Garda authorities are coming forward with various proposals in the light of recent events to try to pool the resources of the Garda Síochána in a better fashion to ensure that crime will not pay for criminals running around the country.
I heard one thing from Deputy Bell with which I would not agree. He seemed to be inferring that there is some political interference in the appointment of superintendents and chief superintendents. I refute that. I understand what has been done has been done by the Garda authorities in order to distribute their resources property. I welcome the appointment of Chief Superintendent John Nolan to the Dundalk area. He will have special responsibility for security right along the Border, and this is to be welcomed.
In relation to the aspect that is causing some disquiet particularly in the town of Drogheda, the possible transfer or taking away from Drogheda of the divisional headquarters, I have made inquiries as a result of many representations I have had on this and I understand that no decision was made as yet on it. However, I have complete confidence that the Garda authorities will decide on all these issues and I will go along generally with what they say in relation to it. The Minister has to answer a number of questions here. Maybe he is not in a position to do so as the Garda authorities may not yet have made a final decision in relation to it. I will be very interested to hear what he has to say.
I wish to thank Deputy Bell and Deputy Ahern for their very generous and well-deserved welcome for the appointment of Chief Superintendent Nolan to the division of Louth-Meath. I appreciate Deputy Bell's comments in relation to the need for this appointment. However, he appears to be somewhat confused because, while welcoming the appointment of Chief Superintendent Nolan to the division, he regrets the fact that, in order to facilitate this appointment, Chief Superintendent Giblin has had to be transferred to another place. Each division has only one chief superintendent and Louth-Meath is no exception.
Let me assure the Deputy that, irrespective of whatever disquiet he feels as a result of newspaper reports, there is no basis whatsoever for any belief that this appointment has been made because of Garda politicking. That suggestion is totally untrue and, on reflection, the Deputy will probably withdraw it. There is no truth either in his allegation that this is interpreted as a slap in the face — to borrow his phrase — for any chief superintendent or, indeed, anyone else who is transferred because of a friendship with a former Garda Commissioner. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Chief Superintendent Nolan would be regarded as one of the closest friends of the former commissioner. Chief Superintendent Nolan is probably considered to be one of the brightest, most intelligent and efficient of all our chief superintendents.
I can confirm that a decision in principle has been taken to transfer the divisional headquarters for the Louth-Meath division from Drogheda to Dundalk. While the newly-appointed chief superintendent will be stationed at Dundalk from the outset, the transfer of some of the divisional headquarters services from Drogheda will not be effected until suitable arrangements as regards accommodation etc. have been made at the new headquarters.
Having regard to the overall policing needs of the Louth-Meath division, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that the divisional headquarters should be relocated at Dundalk. The reasons for the change are very valid ones and I accept the Commissioner's professional judgment in the matter. The decision to transfer the divisional headquarters has to be looked at in the light of the overall policing needs of the division and the requirement that resources be deployed to best advantage in the light of changing needs and circumstances.
Louth-Meath is a Border division and since the troubles erupted in the North in the late sixties, the focus of Garda activity in that division has increasingly centered on the Border and its environs. Dundalk, is, of course, very close to the Border whereas Drogheda is quite some distance from it. Additionally, Dundalk has a larger population than Drogheda, even though the difference between the two is not great.
All of this points in one direction. Naturally you deploy your forces to take account of the area of greatest need. The Garda Commissioner, quite rightly in my view, decided in principle that overall control of the Louth-Meath division should be switched from Drogheda to Dundalk to take account of the changing circumstances. That, for the reasons I have outlined earlier, is a logical decision and I would ask Deputies to look at the move in the wider interest of the population of the two counties of Louth and Meath rather than in the narrow perspective of the local people in any particular town. Deputy Bell should take this into account instead of alleging that Drogheda has lost many things over the years.
However, I must emphasise that the decision will not affect the normal policing arrangements for Drogheda. The divisional officer is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that his resources are utilised to best advantage in meeting the policing needs of all the areas in his division and the location of the divisional headquarters does not determine the level of policing for individual areas.
I can appreciate that the residents of any area will feel some concern and a certain sense of unease when any change in policing arrangements is mooted. I would like to assure the people of Drogheda, however, that there is no need for any alarm on their part. The decision to transfer the Garda divisional headquarters to Dundalk will not adversely affect the policing arrangements for their town. While no details have been settled, it can be taken that the services which will be transferring from Drogheda to Dundalk are administrative services which cover the whole division. The operational Garda strength at Drogheda will not be affected by the proposed changes.
What I want to get across is that the people of Drogheda can be assured that the level of Garda service to the area will not be reduced in any way. Drogheda will continue as a district headquarters in charge of a superintendent and the resources at the new divisional headquarters at Dundalk will be available as a support service to the Garda at Drogheda. The transfer of a divisional headquarters is something that is only done in the best interests of policing arrangements as a whole and I am satisfied that the transfer we are discussing here tonight is the best thing to do having regard to all the circumstances.
I want to cover a point made by Deputy Bell in relation to the provision of buildings. I recognise and accept that a case has been made in recent times for new Garda buildings in Drogheda. That is accepted and agreed and new Garda buildings will be provided in Drogheda.
They will be provided?
They most certainly will be provided in Drogheda as there is a genuine need for them. This need has been recognised and a commitment was given that we would go ahead as quickly as possible to provide new buildings in Drogheda. I have not read the newspaper from which Deputy Bell has quoted but I may get an opportunity to do so before the week is out.
There is a copy of the newspaper in the Library.
They have the Swords edition.
It will probably be third in my reading this week. I have a number of Limerick papers and the Kerry papers to read. I can assure the Deputy that I will read the newspaper concerned because, as was mentioned by Deputy Ahern, if there is some element of disquiet portrayed in the newspaper article I would like to see the grounds on which it is based.
I think I have more than fairly and adequately dealt with the comments made tonight. I should like to make it clear that this is a professional police decision made by the Garda Commissioner, with which I concur, purely on the position that exists. I have no doubt the decision will lead to a marked improvement in the policing in the Louth-Meath division.
I am sure Deputies Ahern and Bell will in a short period see a marked improvement in the policing in that division. I should like to assure those Members that I am more than satisfied that the level of policing the people of Drogheda have become accustomed to will not be interfered with in any way.
The Dáil adjourned at 10.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 11 May 1988.