Merging of Tipperary and Clare Garda Divisions will take another year

Amalgamating the Garda Divisions covering Counties Tipperary and Clare began two years ago and high ranking Gardaí say the complex process is proceeding well, but will take approximately another year to complete.

Under the new system Ennis will become the operational headquarters for what will be a vast area to police, which stretches from Roscrea, Cashel and Clonmel in the furthest eastern corners of the new Division to the west coast.

The decision to merge the two large Divisions was met with some controversy when announced in 2019 and the process has been underway since 2021. The pandemic paused the process, which was due to be completed in April 2020.

Speaking on local radio this week, Chief Superintendent of the new amalgamated Division, Colm O'Sullivan, said the amalgamation will take some time.

"Its a process that will be going on for the next 12 months or so - there's a process that leads into it and I'm now tasked with amalgamating the two Divisions and implementing the new operating model here", he told Clare FM.

On the issue of how resources will be allocated, Chief Superintendent O'Sullivan said those decisions are made in the Garda Commissioners office in Dublin and that the next recruits to graduate from the Garda College in Templemore will be in July - "there will be no new resources available to me before that".

Roscrea will have 24/7 Garda presence

On the issue of how the farther reaches of the new Division in towns like Roscrea will be policed, the highest ranking Garda stationed in the Nenagh/Roscrea has already provided assurances.

“We will have a Garda presence in Roscrea 24/7. That is something I am very firm on. We have to. That is a minimum requirement,” the new Nenagh Garda District Superintendent Ollie Baker said when he addressed the issue in December.

“There’s a big population over there. They’re on the periphery of the District, but that doesn’t mean they are not deserving of the same response to a call they place in.

“I am looking at always having somebody in the stations in Roscrea and Newport. We will be able to take callers from the general public into those stations, which means you can get a better sense of their needs. We will be able to proactively involve ourselves with issues at play. You develop a relationship and trust through that,” Supt. Baker said.

Allaying fears over the amalgamation of the Tipperary and Clare Garda Divisions, Supt Baker says he is “as committed to the people of Borrisokane, Roscrea, Newport as I am to the people of Nenagh, in the same way as the Chief Superintendent is committed to all the people of Tipperary and Clare. I’ll make sure that all the resources are in place to make sure nobody is being left behind.”