Clare’s Joint Policing Committee is to write to the Garda Commissioner to express concern over the absence of a Superintendent in the Kilrush Garda Division.
It comes as this weeks meeting has heard that a Superintendent won’t be appointed to the division, as Gardai continue the process of amalgamating the Clare and Tipperary Garda divisions.
The question of whether a Garda Superintendent will be appointed to West Clare was raised by members of Clare’s joint policing committee this week.
It follows the transfer of Superintendent John Ryan to the Ennis district earlier this year, following the retirement of John Galvin, leaving the Kilrush district without a senior officer.
The meeting heard that as part of the amalgamation process, Garda functions are being realigned into what were termed functional areas of crime, with Superintendents allocated to those functional areas as opposed to Garda Districts.
These functional areas include Community Engagement, Performance Assurance and Business Services.
This means the Garda Districts of Ennis and Kilrush are being combined into one Community Engagement Functional Area, with one Superintendent based in Ennis.
Superintendent John Ryan says he’s confident that people will see the benefits of the ongoing amalgamation of the Clare and Tipperary Garda divisions when it’s fully set up.
The matter was raised by Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch, who feels the development is a loss to West Clare.
He’s asked the JPC committee to write to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to outline concerns raised locally.
