Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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197. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a Garda station (details supplied) in County Cork. [17706/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that, under the new Garda Operating Model which came into effect in October 2019, Douglas Garda Station is a Sub-District station in the Cork City District; it was previously within the former District of Togher. The new Garda Operating Model will increase the number of frontline Gardaí and maximise the organisation’s operational impact at the local level to deliver an improved, more consistent, highly visible policing service with a stronger focus on community policing and a wide-range of policing services delivered locally.

I am informed that opening hours are normally 10am – 2pm/6pm, subject to operational demands and availability of resources. The following table shows the breakdown of Gardaí in the Station:

These figures have been subject to fluctuation due to members on maternity leave as well as promotions and retirements. This has necessitated the temporary curtailment of opening hours at the station as the working members are deployed to outdoor operational duties to service the needs of the community.