COMMUNITIES across Donegal will lose their local Garda stations as the Government forces senior officers to make cuts, Sinn Fein said tonight.
Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn was speaking after a meeting with senior officers in the county today. Among them was Chief Superintendent Terry McGinn who is providing a report to the Garda Commissioner on how best to make cuts.
Gardai already go on duty in rusting vehicles and other cars which should have been replaced.
Now up to 20 rural stations could be closed in order to save the number of personnel in the county.
Sources say that faced with a choice in cutting the number of gardai and closing stations, senior officers prefer the latter, though job losses have not been ruled out.
The Garda stations on the closure hit list in Donegal were named last week in the Tir Chonaill Tribune newspaper.
No decisions have been taken on any closures as yet but those being looked at include Glencolmcille where hero gardai and volunteers looking for missing tourist Kelly Jones were based.
Others on the list are Carrick, Annagry, Burtonport, Creeslough, Rathmullan, Dunfanaghy, Pettigo, Ramelton, Churchill, Brockagh, Carrigans, Newtowncunningham, Raphoe or Convoy, Culdaff and Malin.
Deputy MacLochlainn said after his meeting today: “This is an appalling situation where the Minister Alan Shatter is forcing these cuts and forcing them without any consultation with local communities.
“Unfortunately this is going to happen. Mr Shatter can’t wash his hands off this like Pontius Pilate.
“It is up to senior gardai how they police Donegal but they have been given completely inadequate resources. They have been given a budget and told to work with it.”
The TD added: “Closures are inevitable. This is not Supt McGinn’s decision. This process from Mr Shatter is aimed at closing garda stations and we want communities in Donegal to be involved in this process.”
