No new Gardaí for North Tipp despite 'glaringly obvious' need - Alan Kelly

For the second time in a row North Tipperary is receiving no new Gardai after the latest graduation ceremony in Templemore, with Tipperary as a whole only receiving one new Garda and Tipperary Labour TD and Justice spokesperson, Deputy Alan Kelly, expressed disappointment over the decision.

"The same was the case in November when we had another attestation ceremony. In November of the 194 graduates, 87 were allocated to Dublin while this time of the 167, 104 are gone to Dublin. North Tipperary got none," Deputy Alan Kelly said.

"It is incredible that this is allowed to happen when we have had many retirements and it is glaringly obvious that there is a lack of Gardai in North Tipperary.

"Gardai are telling us of lack of capacity to police their areas. They are having to cover areas a long distance from them and specialist positions are left vacant.

"At times towns are left with a patrol car and I’m being told most policing now is reactive rather than proactive because of manpower and resource issues. We have known for a long time that the current policing model needs to be changed as it doesn’t make sense," Deputy Kelly said.

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"It seems quite obvious to me that there is a policy now being adopted of discriminating against rural areas when in the last two graduations 191 of 361 or 53% graduates have been allocated to Dublin alone.

"Bottom line now is it is very easy to find a Garda if you are walking the streets of Dublin. I see it myself every week.

"However it is very difficult to find one if you are walking the streets of any town in North Tipperary and that is a deliberate policy that is being implemented by this Government and it’s discriminatory to North Tipperary," Deputy Kelly said.