Call for second Garda Armed Response Unit to be based in north Donegal

Following a garda review it has been confirmed that an additional armed response unit (ARU) is to be set up "along the border" in the coming months.

This has prompted a call from the Chair of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JPC) Cllr Gerry McMonagle that it should be based in north Donegal.

Each of the six garda regions is served by an ARU with the northern region served by a unit based in Ballyshannon.
The Ballyshannon unit is supported by the Dundalk unit when it is not available.
Concern was raised at the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting about response times and the level of cover for the Ballyshannon unit.
Community representative Joe Boland said the public needed assurances from the gardaí that if the ARU is required they will be there in a certain time frame.
The unit was recently deployed to the incident in which Killygordon mother of two Jasmine McMonagle was murdered earlier this month.
Superintendent Michael Finan said the unit in Ballyshannon is augmented by the unit based in Dundalk when necessary.
He said there has been a review and another unit is to be set up “along the border”. Positions will be advertised in “the next month or two”.
Cllr McMonagle said he believed the new unit should be assigned to north Donegal. “There should be another such unit based in the county to provide adequate cover. It should be 24-hour cover.”