Mr. Ronan Clogher:

The overarching problem with the operating model is the resource issue. However, there are other issues that can be fixed. The resource issue is a long-term problem, which I will go into later.

We have significant concerns with the three-county model for Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. I know it was discussed at this committee last week. Geographically, the population density is on the east coast. Resources are drawn towards the east coast and the big towns, Drogheda and Dundalk, while Cavan and Monaghan are left alone. An example of this is that prior to the introduction of the operating model, one town in the Cavan-Monaghan division had five sergeants. It now has one.

Similarly, on the west coast, we have Mayo, Roscommon and Longford but such a geographical area is completely un-policeable. It is impossible to manage a division of that size. It stretches from Blacksod, past Belmullet to this side of Granard. Again, we see resources being dragged away from the smaller towns and centralised to provide cover in the main towns. They provide a satellite service out but this is breaking the link with the community. People do not know their local gardaí and gardaí do not know the local people. Traditionally, that is what An Garda Síochána always thrived on.

There are other issues that the operating model is bringing up. It is creating silos within An Garda Síochána. We are seeing the break up of An Garda Síochána as a force into separate entities. The plainclothes division is going one way and the uniform division is going the other way. For a small police force like An Garda Síochána, that is very risky, particularly in the countryside and rural areas where plainclothes gardaí need to support those in uniform and vice versa. We have also seen the removal of superintendents from Garda districts. Historically, this served the State well for the last 100 years. I note the Commissioner's comments to this committee last week where he put forward that one of the benefits of the operating model is that superintendents were freed up from districts and had more of a community engagement role. We would not accept that. Our membership would like to see superintendents back in charge of districts. I know from talking to my colleagues in the superintendent's association that they would like to be back in charge of districts as well. It has not worked. Nobody knows who is in charge. We hear this phrase "community engagement"-----