Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has appealed to the Justice Minister to ensure that Garda divisions across the border are properly resourced.  It comes following confirmation that 17 officers from the Cavan-Monaghan division are being transferred to Louth.

Deputy Brendan Smith commented, “I fully appreciate that Co. Louth needs more Garda personnel following the horrific murder of two Gardaí in that area over the past 3 years.

“Cavan/Monaghan is also a border region and has experienced a sizeable increase in crime over the past few years.  The Cavan/Monaghan Division is in desperate need of more Gardaí, however the decision to transfer personnel to Co. Louth will see the resources in Cavan/Monaghan seriously depleted.

“Garda numbers in Cavan/Monaghan have been reduced by 22% in recent years, and I have called on the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner to allocate more Gardaí to Cavan and Monaghan as a matter of urgency.

“There is a genuine fear throughout urban and rural communities about the escalation in crime and An Garda Síochana needs more resources to deal with these very important issues.  The Gardaí are doing an exceptional job in difficult circumstances but additional resources must be allocated to ensure that communities across the country are adequately policed, and nowhere is that more important than in border areas”.