Meath being ‘left behind’ in garda allocations as ‘little progress’ made on new Laytown station
A public meeting is to be held later this month to address what East Meath representatives describe as “little progress” on a new Garda station for Laytown and ongoing concerns over Garda staffing levels in the county.
The meeting will be hosted by Sinn Féin Councillor Maria White, and will also be attended by Meath East TD Darren O’Rourke and Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Matt Carthy TD.
“The most recent census showed Co Meath is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. It is evident that East Meath is expanding in population at a faster rate than the rest of the county,” Cllr White said.
“Meath has continued to rapidly grow in population size, yet we are consistently provided with the least amount of Gardaí per head of population in the state.”
"The people of County Meath suffer because of this government’s failure to provide sufficient Gardaí to match the population of our communities. The people of East Meath suffer, in particular, as a direct result of this failure.”
She said rising crime and anti-social behaviour had left many residents and local businesses feeling “less safe”, and pointed to the lack of Garda visibility and the absence of 24/7 stations as contributing factors.
A new Garda station for Laytown was first signalled in early 2022 by then minister for justice Helen McEntee. However, Cllr White said there has been “little progress” nearly four years on.
“The lack of Gardaí visibility, in permanent 24/7 stations and ‘on the beat’ in our communities, is an important factor in this. Having enough Gardaí permanently based in communities and deployed to frontline duties is essential,” she added.
“It is crystal clear that we need to ensure that Meath is no longer left to the bottom of the pile and is provided with sufficient numbers of Gardaí and resources to cater for the significant increase in population size.”
Deputy O’Rourke echoed the concerns, saying the county continues to be “left behind when it comes to Garda provisions”.
“We have a rapidly expanding population and a completely inadequate number of Gardaí to cater for the county,” he said.
“Year after year we are left deflated when we see an insufficient number of Gardaí allocated to the county, while crime and anti-social behaviour continues to grow.”
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 25, at 8pm in the Village Hotel, Bettystown.