Cork North West TD Michael Moynihan has criticised the government’s
decision to sell four garda stations in Co Cork that were recently
shut down by Justice Minister Alan Shatter.
Deputy Moynihan was reacting to confirmation that the government is
selling off 40 garda stations it recently closed – including Meelin,
Glenville, Inchigeela and Mallow Road stations in Co Cork.
“This is yet another loss for these 4 Cork communities. Their local
garda station has already been shut down and now the building which
was once a focal point of the community is being sold off,” said
Deputy Moynihan.
“The government’s excuse is that they ‘couldn’t find’ any other use
for these buildings. I find that extremely hard to believe. In many
cases the buildings have been central to community life for decades,
not only providing comfort and security to local residents, but also
offering important ancillary services. The government should have made
every effort to ensure that the buildings are given back to the
community and can remain at the heart of the community life.
“I believe Minister Shatter’s campaign of shutting local garda
stations and dismantling community garda resources is fundamentally
wrong. I also believe that this campaign is a strong element of a
wider attack on rural communities in the West of Ireland in
particular. Many Cork communities have seen their local services
dramatically reduced over past two years. Seven garda stations have
been shut down in Cork this year alone. Court houses, libraries, bank
branches, credit unions are shutting down in many areas. The HSE is
also attempting to sell off some health centres. Small schools are
under increasing risk of closure. Small retailers and many other
local businesses are under threat as a result of a continued lack of
support from banks and government.
“All of this amounts to a dramatic withdrawal of services in many
communities across Cork Unfortunately, the government’s decision to
sell off local garda station buildings will be seen as yet another
nail in the coffin.”
