Port expansion must facilitate local Gardaí
THE Superintendent of the Wexford Garda Division has asked that the needs of local gardaí be considered in any expansion of Rosslare Europort.
Having listened to Mr Glenn Carr outline his ambitious plans for Rosslare, Superintendent Jim Doyle asked whether those plans included the development of a new Garda premises at the port.
‘I know accomodation for the guards isn’t great,’ Mr Carr said. ‘But as part of the masterplan there’s an application for Garda accommodation to be put into that.
‘We want 24/7 policing at the port which would be a benefit to the local community, those guards could support policing in the area also.’
Currently the Immigration Unit at the port consists of just four gardaí and one sergeant, with members from Wexford and Regional Support Units in Waterford and Cahir providing support during busy times.
And although Superintendent Doyle said they have begun interviewing candidates with a view to increasing numbers in the Immigration Unit, he believes there is a need to massively enhance garda presence at the port.
‘We want four extra sergeants and 20 gardaí. That might seem ambitious but in light of recent tragic events I’d be hopeful it will occur,’ said the Superintendent.
One of the tragic events in question was the discovery of 39 dead bodies in a lorry in Essex last month, and Superintendent Doyle said that every lorry which had come in to Rosslare Europort on that day had been searched.
‘With extra manpower we could be sure nothing like that will come through here. But, in terms of our budget, we need more for the Rosslare District. Accompanied and unaccompanied freight is searched from Cherbourg, but organised traffickers are placing persons in trailers by picking the locks,’ he said.
Highlighting the cost of organising additional staff from neighbouring counties, Superintendent Doyle argued the case for a
Regional Support Unit in Rosslare.
‘When Stena changed its times, we had to change over our times to match them. But the majority of crime is indigineous.
‘If we had a full time unit it would enhance the region. There should be a Regional Support Unit here, there’s one in Waterford, in Cahir, in Newbridge, and they have to come to support us, but the cost of that is huge. We have pay them to travel here, six hours on the road for two hours work,’ he said.
However, before staff at the port can be increased a new station is required said Superintendent Doyle.
‘Accomodation is before everything else. My hope is to have 40 full-time guards at Rosslare Europort, but we can’t get the staff without accomodation, then we can go 24/7, then develop a Regional Support Unit.’
Councillor Lisa McDonald supported Superintendent Doyle’s requests, saying, ‘If we’re spending €28 million on the port, accomodation for garda shouldn’t be out of reach. It’s very important they do their job in appropriate surroundings.
‘There’s a serious amount of motions we need to forward at council level. One is we need a full time unit at Rosslare Europort. When a new motorway opens it increases crime in the area, we will have it from both sides then.
‘A full-time unit here can help throughout the county. The Garda in Rosslare require a three-year plan in tandem with the plan for the port,’ she said.