SOME 139 GARDA stations have been closed in recent years.

In late December it emerged the government has spent €846,560 to date maintaining closed Garda stations throughout the country – an average of €7,000 per property per year.

Just over €2.5 million has been generated from the sale of closed Garda stations, and direct savings of €556,000 per year have been made through the closure of the stations under the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme.

Some 36 stations have been sold to date, with a number in the ‘sale agreed’ stage. Here’s a breakdown of how much each station has been bought for:

Garda Station Amount Aclare (private treaty) €40,000 Ardagh (sale agreed) Baldwinstown (public auction 27 March 2014) €75,000 Ballacolla (sale agreed) Ballinakill (public auction 28 July 2015) €92,000 Ballinahowan (sale agreed) Ballinure (public auction 5 June 2014) €100,000 Ballyragget (public auction 28 July 2015) €141,000 Ballywilliam (public auction 28 July 2015) €110,000 Carrigaholt (private treaty) €105,000 Church Hill (Min an Lábain) (public auction 14 December 2015) €62,000 Cloone (public auction 27 March 2014) €50,000 Crossakiel (private treaty) €6,000 Doon (public auction 5 June 2014) €50,000 Dromod (public auction 14 December 2015) €142,000 Dundrum (public auction 5 June 2014) €90,000 Easkey (public auction 14 December 2015) €65,000 Finea (public auction 24 June 2014) €56,000 Geashill (public auction 28 July 2015) €123,000 Gleann Cholm Cille (public auction 14 December 2015) €55,000 Grangemockler (public auction 27 March 2014) €103,000 Inchigeela (public auction 27 March 2014) €55,000 Inistioge (public auction 28 July 2015) €132,000 Johnstown (public auction 28 July 2015) €115,000 Kilmessan (public auction 24 June 2014) €200,000 Kiltealy (public auction 28 July 2015) €86,000 Kiltyclogher (private treaty) €58,000 Labasheeda (sale agreed) Lahardane (private treaty) €70,000 Lauragh (sale agreed) Mallow Road (public auction 27 March 2014) €260,000 Meelin (private treaty) €44,500 Newtowncashel (public auction 27 March 2014) €50,000 Rathowen (private treaty) €15,000 Tournafolla (sale agreed) Tullyvin (public auction 24 June 2014) €45,000 Total €2,595,500

Source: Office of Public Works

Last month, a Garda Inspectorate report criticised the lack of community gardaí, saying too many officers are sitting behind desks.



Changing Policing in Ireland found that around 1,500 extra gardaí could be put on the streets if the force made better use of officers.

Burglaries

Many people link the closure of Garda stations, particularly in rural areas, to a rise in crimes such as burglaries – with almost 2,000 extra burglary offences taking place in the first nine months of 2015.

Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) earlier this month show that 28,407 burglaries and related offences were committed in the first nine months of this year, a 6% increase on the 26,747 recorded during the same period in 2014.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has defended the closure programme, previously noting that it “supports the provision of a modern 21st century policing service for both urban and rural areas”.

“As a result of the programme, communities have benefited from increased Garda visibility and increased patrolling hours which has enabled An Garda Síochána to deliver an improved policing service to the public.”