Concerns abound as new Garda model in Donegal to roll out this weekend

Amid serious concerns - and with Letterkenny garda station still without a superintendent - a new Garda model in Donegal will be rolled out this weekend

The new system, which will see Donegal split into two community engagement areas (CEAs), will begin from Sunday.

However, it comes at a time where there are grave concerns over basic staffing issues in the county and the ability to make a seamless change from the current model of four Garda Districts -  Letterkenny, Buncrana, Milford and Ballyshannon. 

The Letterkenny District, known to be one of three busiest in the northern region of An Garda Síochána, has been without a Superintendent since the beginning of 2024.

“We have been endeavouring to get more resources in Donegal to commence the model and we have certain undertakings from the organisation,” Detective Superintendent Michael Comyns, the general secretary of the Association of Garda Superintendents, told Donegal Live. 

“We have concerns about changing over when there is no superintendent in charge of that particular area.

“There hasn’t been a superintendent in Letterkenny in some time and we have been given an undertaking that that vacancy will be filled. It will be filled as soon as the national promotion panel is sorted and that competition is about to be advertised, we understand.”

Already, the Donegal Public Participation Network (PPN) met with Assistant Garda Commissioner Cliona Richardson last month to outline their concerns.

Many believe that Donegal should be split into three CEAs - Ballyshannon, Buncrana and Letterkenny - rather than the two that are to come into being.

“Donegal isn’t ready at the moment as we don’t have the sufficient resources,” one Garda source told Donegal Live. 

“The feeling is that Drew Harris (Garda Commissioner) is ramming this through before he leaves (Harris is due to leave the role on September 1).

“We are meant to go live with this new model at the weekend, but there are problems in the county. They can have inspectors as acting superintendent, but that comes with problems too - a superintendent can designate a crime scene whereas an inspector can’t. 

“And if someone is an acting super, then there is an inspector gone from somewhere else.

“Everyone wants to help and it’s not as if people are gone anti it - we know that the model isn’t great, but they need to get the right resources for it. Everyone wants it4 to work, but our superiors are saying that Donegal isn’t ready for this.”

There are currently 424 gardai stationed in Donegal and under the new model, 148 of those would be covered by an area that includes garda stations from Ballyshannon and all of south Donegal, up along the west coast as far as Creeslough and into Ballybofey and Castlefin.

The 424 figure was the last count made available regarding the number of gardai in the county, but this includes those off on sick leave or otherwise unavailable for duty. Donegal has consistently ranked near the bottom of the pile when it comes to the allocation of newly-attested gardai. 

Some rank-and-file gardai are concerned at what the new model will look like amid fears that someone arrested in Gortahork, for example, having to be taken to Ballyshannon Garda Station to be processed - a trip of an hour and a half and a journey that could mean a patrol car and two gardai tied up for several hours of their shift.

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A major €2.5 million refurbishment of the station on Quay Road, Donegal Town was completed in 2020, but the custody suite has been unused as that facility has not yet been signed off by garda chiefs.