An Garda Síochána has today announced that the location of the Regional and Divisional Headquarters for the amalgamated Clare / Tipperary Garda divisions, will move and remain based in Ennis, Co Clare.
Losing its divisional HQ status is the Garda station here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, together with other stations in Navan, Co. Meath, Naas, Co. Kildare and Bray, Co. Wicklow, and the towns of Roscommon, Sligo and Monaghan.
We are informed that a wide range of operational factors were taken into serious considered, before deciding where this new Regional and Divisional Headquarters should be located, e.g. crime trends; projected future growth; population density; human activity and artificial physical features of the area; resources including political and economic activities and finally demand on workload.
This new announced operational model is expected to be introduced on a phased basis, with Garda Divisions now reduced from 28 to 19 in number. The newly formed Clare/Tipperary division will remain part of the Southern Region. The other regional divisions making up this region being identified as Cork City, Cork County, Kerry County and Limerick County.
Thurles has again been let down by our Politicians. The Town is again being relegated. For as long as I can remember we always had a Chief Superintendent and a Superintendent based in Thurles. What is even better is the fact that we all knew these people and they lived in the Town area. I had written to Thurles Chamber on this issue on 28th August, 2019 asking for representation to be made to hold the Divisional Garda Headquarters in Thurles. I did not even get a response to my e-mail so I have no idea what representaion if any was made by the Chamber. Another sorry day for Thurles.
Thurles has had at least 10 Garda cars withdrawn and never replaced. Templemore district was merged with Thurles so we wouldn’t notice the dwindling fleet since Fine Gael came to power.