Crisis as garda numbers at Mullingar plummet

Mullingar Garda Station has seen a severe drop in staffing numbers, prompting both a garda union figure and local TDs to express concern over the lack of resources in the area.

Figures published on Wednesday indicate that the number of gardaí attached to Mullingar Garda Station fell by 24 between January and December of last year – one of the sharpest decreases recorded anywhere in the state.

“This is reaching crisis levels and, unfortunately, these are fears we share with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána all over the country,” Garda Michael Ryan, the Westmeath representative on the central executive board of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), told the Westmeath Examiner this week, going on to say he has “serious concerns” regarding the lack of resources in the Mullingar region, and across Westmeath.

“This government and their predecessors have consistently spoken about getting garda levels up to around 17-18,000, yet we continue to languish at just over 14,000, which hasn’t changed in the last six years. And this is during a time when our national population has increased by around 15%,” Garda Ryan said.

Figures for current strength numbers at Mullingar Garda Station were not given – but the latest figures given in response to parliamentary questions submitted by TDs show that in June 2023, there were 245 gardaí in Westmeath, of whom 116 were stationed at Mullingar.

At the end of June 2024, there were 242 gardaí in the county, just 95 of whom were in Mullingar – a decrease by that stage of 21, representing an 18 per cent decline.

Deputy Sorca Clarke said the issue is a serious one, both for the public, and for the members of An Garda Síochána.

“We know our town has a growing population, and to see a decline in garda numbers reinforces that sense of insecurity and the sense of not being safe that people have,” she said.

“It’s also unfair on the gardaí that we do have, who we know are doing tremendous work, particularly when you think that it was our gardaí who secured not only the first conviction for human trafficking, but the first conviction for assisting in human trafficking in the state.”

Deputy Robert Troy, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, said the figures are “not good”, and that he has raised the need for additional garda resources with Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan, and understands that Mullingar has received an allocation from the latest graduation cohort.

“The Programme for Government has committed to 15,000 serving members and I will continue to press for additional resources for Mullingar and the villages across the county also,” he said.

“Minister O’Callaghan has been strong on making sure people feel safe in their communities and I am confident he will continue to prioritise reforms and resources to achieve that.”

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke stated that he has raised the garda numbers issue with Minister Callaghan and previously with Minister McEntee, critically to support community policing.

“We have an exceptional community policing unit in Mullingar who are integrated into our community and have built strong relationships and trust with local residents, and I am working hard to ensure they have the resources they need and are supported,” he said.

Minister Burke said there have been some positive action points in recent months in relation to the pipeline of new gardaí: “Just last week, we welcomed the largest intake into the Garda College in Templemore in six years – 201 trainees, the highest number since 2019. This will allow us to meet our target of increasing numbers by 5,000 over the next five years, and I will be ensuring that Mullingar and the wider Westmeath area gets a significant number of these based on our need,” he said.

Minister Burke said that a number of different options are being utilised to increase numbers and support serving members: “We have increased the training allowance significantly, increased the age limit so that those over 35 can now apply, extended mandatory retirement to 62 if a guard wishes to extend it, and now body cams are in place in many areas.”

Deputy Clarke said that the lack of gardaí was an issue that was raised a lot on doorsteps in the last general election. “The gardaí aren’t being seen, the garda response times are lower, and people just feel that the service that they’re receiving is nowhere near where it should be. And this is one of the most important state services. The responsibility for this lies not with the gardaí: the responsibility for this is with government, and at the moment, it’s with Jim O’Callaghan as the justice minister.”

Deputy Clarke went on to call for the opening of a second garda college, but added that one of the barriers to recruitment is the cost of housing, both for purchasers and renters: “When you have houses going up for sale where a two-bedroom house is €315,000, no newly-attested garda is going to be able to afford that… and you can’t ask a young garda to take up a position in a town or a village where rent is going to set them back €1,300 a month. That’s just not feasible.”

The view of the GRA is that over the last decade there have been systemic, consecutive failures in policies and decisions when attempting to increase the numbers of gardaí available, Garda Ryan says.

“The GRA has continually raised this issue as a recruitment and retention crisis in our ranks and we have advised both management and government of the need to urgently create a more attractive and financially rewarding environment to both incentivise new members to apply for a career in AGS and encourage our current members to remain.

“It is time to make a career in An Garda Síochána one that attracts the best of our young talent and makes those members that we already have in Westmeath and right across AGS feel more supported and valued,” he says.

STORY IN STATISTICS

Nationally, as of December 31, 2024, there were 14,058 gardaí on the country – 11,570 uniformed and 2,488 detectives. The Meath/Westmeath Garda Division had 548 gardaí.

Figures provided at Dáil Éireann level in response to PQs tabled showed that in February 2024, there were 129 gardaí in the Mullingar area and 117 in the Athlone area – a total of 246 in the county; and that at the end of June 2024, there were 124 gardaí attached to the Mullingar area and 118 to Athlone.

The June figures – the latest that were available at the time – were provided in November to Deputy Sorca Clarke, who had asked how many gardaí were attached to each station in Westmeath.

The breakdown showed that of the 124 in the Mullingar area, there were 95 in Mullingar Garda Station – 73 rank and file; 15 sergeants, five inspectors and two superintendents.

In addition, there are 12 stationed in Delvin, 5 in Kinnegad, 4 in Castlepollard, 3 in Killucan; 2 apiece in Rochfortbridge and Multyfarnham; and 1 in Ballynacargy, making for an overall total in the Mullingar area of 124 gardaí.

Athlone had a total staff of 92 – 71 gardaí, 14 sergeants, 6 inspectors and one superintendent, while in Moate, there was a team of 20 – 17 gardaí and 3 sergeants. Kilbeggan had three gardaí and one sergeant and there was a single member assigned to Ballymore and a single member in Glasson.

Station, June 2023, June 2024

Ballynacargy 2, 1

Castlepollard 4, 4

Delvin 11, 12

Killucan 1, 3

Kinnegad 5, 5

Mullingar 116, 95

Multyfarnham 1, 2

Rochfortbridge 2, 2

Total, 142, 124