Commissioner to deal with concerns and promises action

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said he shared many of the concerns expressed by members of the Donegal JPC but added they had to be patient and promised new structures would deliver in time.

He spent much of his time in Lifford n Monday dealing with the various concerns voiced by JPC members.

Commissioner Harris said there was a cross-border element to the crime they had to deal with and acknowledged Derry had its influence on Donegal. He pointed to what he called the "very positive relationship" the gardaí had with the PSNI in terms of responding to incidents, and sharing information and evidence.

He said recruitment and investment meant their ongoing commitment to rural and community policing was strong.

"Any idea of a retreat from rural policing or closing stations is not going to happen on my watch. I recognise the importance of rural policing, particularly for a community that feels isolated. I'm absolutely determined to invest in all of that.

In relation to management structures, Commissioner Harris said divisions and districts had been simplified and divisional officers and chief superintendents were now operating with greater autonomy with local gardaí investing in local service.

He pointed out that the command of the division lay with the Chief Superintendent and had the discretion to run it as he saw fit.

"I don't micro-manage my Chief Superintendents and I'm not going to make s public commitment to where they are going to be from one day to the next."

He added the regional call centre in Galway had seen a huge investment in using the best technology aorund managing and understanding calls and the more it was used the more they would understand the policing demands of an area.

"This doesn't mean we break the local connection either. Every station is keeping its telephone number. There is no reduction in the resources being brought to bear. We have the commitment to provide a fast response, answering calls and turning up in person."

In relation to the Gaeltacht, Commissioner Harris said they recognised the importance of providing a service in Irish there and had a statutory obligation to do so.

He reiterated they were not retreating from rural communities or closing stations and wanted to get to the position where additional members would be using them.

In terms of answering calls, these would be dealt with locally with the response that was most appropriate.

He denied there was spin put on the recent smaller graduation numbers as the recruitment class was reflective of the small class. He wanted to see more and this would happen with increased recruitment planned for the future.

"We are trying to recruit in a very active marketplace in terms of looking for talent. People have lots of choices other than An Garda Siochana."

He pointed out there were 88 garda vehicles assigned to Donegal, the largest fleet it has ever had and would look to see if there was more they needed to do.

He added it came down to resources for cars when deciding what type of vehicles they could purchase.

They hoped to get a helicopter and plane that would be able to operate right across Ireland in the future.

He pointed out that their work on drugs was ongoing. The unit in Milford was affected by promotions but there was a unit for Donegal. He said special units dealing with drugs, economic crime and the armed response unit had to take members from all areas so that was why the gardaí needed to expand.

"The buoyant economy is also driving the demand for drugs as well, particularly cannabis and cocaine. We are very conscious of the damage it is doing to local communities and intimidation of families around the drugs trade and drugs debt."

He added he would like to see the development of the dog unit to search for drugs and cash in particular.

Commissioner Harris assured JPC members they were looking at models for mental health interventions by adopting the right response and the recognition of needs. It was currently being piloted in Limerick.

In relation to vetting the commissioner said this was not within their sphere of operation as it was controlled by the Department of Justice but assured the meeting asylum seekers caused very little problems for the gardaí while the condition of garda stations was a matter for the Office of Public Works who owned most of these buildings.

Commissioner Harris assured the meeting that the arms response unit would still be based in Ballyshannon, the drugs unit was an ongoing constant across the country. Ongoing campaigns dealing with road safety drink and drug driving issues were being enhanced with new legislation on the way to help enforcement.

He said the garda reserve force was important and something they wanted to expand into the rural areas this year.

He pointed out that new legislation regarding digital evidence would help with things like CCTV, body cams and automatic number plate recognition technology and was currently going through the Dáil.

"What you want is what I want to deliver," said the commissioner.

New Chief Superintendent for Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, Aidan Glacken said he and his superintendents were undertaking a review of resources at the moment and would be looking at all the concerns raised by the councillors.

Donegal County Council chief executive, John McLaughlin thanked the local gardaí for their ongoing cooperation and joint approach during Covid. He also praised them for their work during the Creeslough tragedy and singled out Superintendent David Kelly and his team for their professional handling and empathy shown during that unique situation.