INISHOWEN TD., Charlie McConalogue has accused the
Government of being ‘totally out of touch with
communities’ after it refused to back down on the
closure of Garda stations including Malin.
Deputy McConalogue was speaking after Government TDs
voted down a Fianna Fáil motion calling on the
Government not to close almost 100 community garda
stations this week, including five in Co Donegal and
nine in the Sligo-Leitrim garda division.
“People in Donegal, who have seen the terrible
impact of burglaries and crime in their communities
over the past few months, cannot understand how Fine
Gael and Labour can justify these cuts. The Minister
for Justice Alan Shatter has now admitted that this
is not about money.
"He said the savings will be negligible as the only
costs are light and heat for these stations. Why
then is he removing the physical presence of garda
stations from so many rural communities for good?"
asked Deputy McConalogue.
He said Gardaí in Donegal are "under severe
pressure" at this time as they go beyond the call of
duty to keep our communities safe.
“Government representatives here in Donegal and
across the North West region need to start listening
to the communities they represent. They cannot
continue to ignore the public outcry over this
issue," he added. |
