From the Galway Bay FM newsroom:
There are continuing problems in filling vacancies in Galway's Gaeltacht Stations due to a shortage of Irish speaking Gardaí.
The latest meeting of the County Galway Joint Policing Committee also heard that as inexperienced Gardaí will not be located in smaller rural areas, there's an added challenge in filling vacancies in Gaeltacht Stations.
Chief Superintendent Curley told Connemara Councillor, Dáithí Ó Cualáin, that he would not be sending Gardaí who were not proficient in the Irish language to Gaeltacht area stations. However, neither would younger and inexperienced Gardaí be sent to small stations and most Gaeltacht stations fell into this category.
Councillor Ó Cualáin said there had been a 50% reduction in the number of Gardaí in an Cheathrua Rua and that this situation must be rectified without delay.
Chief Superintendent Curley stated that there were no Gardaí with sufficient Irish and enough experience who had an interest in being based at an Cheathrua Rua; this was the crux of the matter, the Superintendent stated.
He had no power, he said, to send Gardaí to that district unless they were willing to go there.
