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clareecho.ie
Sep 14 2023
LAST OF THE SUMMER SUN
Garda numbers dwindle in Clare by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
l Fionn Hegerty enjoying the sunshine and the hurling at the meeting of Whitegate and Ruan in the Clare intermediate hurling championship in Dr Daly Park, Tulla Photo by Ruth Griffin
CLARE HAS 33 less Garda members than it had in 2018 while the newly amalgamated Garda Division with Tipperary sees just one of the six superintendents based out of the Banner County. Effective since the end of the August, the amalgamated Garda Division of Clare and Tipperary has six Superintendents but just one of these, Supt John Ryan is based in Co Clare, out of Ennis Garda Station. Chief Superintendent Colm O’Sullivan’s main base is out of Ennis Garda Station but he is also working out of Tipperary. He defended the new model which sees more inspectors in the county. “The
way we do our business is changing but the service that has been provided has actually improved because we have teams of dedicated inspectors to deal with the crime,” he said. Since 2018, Clare has 33 less Garda members. “Overall it is down 23 Garda members across the Clare Division, yes at Garda rank we’re down 33 guards but some of those were promoted into the rank of Superintendent and remained within the Clare Division or if they were transferred out they were replaced with Sergeants. We increased the number of Sergeants and Inspectors but we lost overall 23 people,” he told The Clare Echo.
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