The fall-off in Garda numbers in Clare in recent years has impacted on the number of rank-and-file Gardaí in the county.
Comprehensive new figures have revealed how Garda numbers here are recovering, but still have a way to go when compared with pre-crash levels.
But other parts of the country are seeing a quicker return to the previous level of strength in the force.
In August of this year, there were 306 members of An Garda Siochana in the Clare Division.
That’s down by nearly 10% on the figure of 2008, when there were over 30 additional Gardaí here.
However, figures released to the Dáil recently highlight how this is still an improvement on 2014 when the number of Gardaí locally was at its lowest point in recent years of 287.
The fall-off has come exclusively in the number of rank-and-file Gardaí, with the number of higher grade officers remaining the same or increasing over the past decade, although the number of Sergeants here had fallen from 44 to 33 in 2012, before recovering.
There has been much discussion locally about Garda resources, and concerns about a weakening in the number of Gardaí, but these figures show that the county has actually fared better than the national average in the past decade.
The Garda force in Clare has shrunk by 9% since 2008, and this is actually roughly in line with the national average.
And while changes in some Divisions mean direct comparisons are difficult, the figures show other parts of the country have not seen the same reduction in Garda personnel, while the number is actually higher now than in 2008 in two separate division – North Cork, and Louth.
