Michael Collins: Rural Garda Closures Threaten Community Safety
Michael Collins addressed closures of Garda stations in rural Ireland and argued these closures have weakened community safety and local policing ties. He praised local Garda officers and youth initiatives, urged increased Garda funding and housing support, and called for strict measures against serious offenders and certain applicants.
The speech warned that Garda stations have closed without replacements, eroding the sense of safety that once existed in rural areas. Michael Collins said that people used to be able to visit a local station where the Garda knew them and their family, and he framed the loss of that familiarity as a key cause of declining local security.
He singled out local officers in West Cork, naming Jonathan McCarthy as an example of a Garda who lives in the station and serves the Balladab community on the Mizden Peninsula. He also mentioned Damien White for his youth work and highlighted how that community presence matters to residents.
Michael Collins traced the Garda Youth Awards back to a West Cork juvenile liaison officer in 1995 and urged recognition of positive young people nationwide. He cited examples including 15-year-old Evan Collins, a kickboxing world champion, and Aidan Burke, a rap musician who produced a song addressing mental health, arguing for more community involvement for youth.
Speaking for Independent Ireland, he advocated increased Garda funding, housing support and recruitment initiatives for the Garda youth and wider service. He also said repeat offenders should face appropriate consequences, non-citizens who commit serious crimes should be deported immediately, and applicants with violent or sexual convictions should be refused entry. He closed with a brief mention of Deputy Kent.
Rural Garda closures - community safety concerns
The speech warned that Garda stations have closed without replacements, eroding the sense of safety that once existed in rural areas. Michael Collins said that people used to be able to visit a local station where the Garda knew them and their family, and he framed the loss of that familiarity as a key cause of declining local security.
Local officers and community connection
He singled out local officers in West Cork, naming Jonathan McCarthy as an example of a Garda who lives in the station and serves the Balladab community on the Mizden Peninsula. He also mentioned Damien White for his youth work and highlighted how that community presence matters to residents.
Garda Youth Awards and recognition of young people
Michael Collins traced the Garda Youth Awards back to a West Cork juvenile liaison officer in 1995 and urged recognition of positive young people nationwide. He cited examples including 15-year-old Evan Collins, a kickboxing world champion, and Aidan Burke, a rap musician who produced a song addressing mental health, arguing for more community involvement for youth.
Policy positions - funding, housing, recruitment and criminal justice
Speaking for Independent Ireland, he advocated increased Garda funding, housing support and recruitment initiatives for the Garda youth and wider service. He also said repeat offenders should face appropriate consequences, non-citizens who commit serious crimes should be deported immediately, and applicants with violent or sexual convictions should be refused entry. He closed with a brief mention of Deputy Kent.
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Transcript
The foundation of my political career lies in my beginning, within the voluntary community sector. I firmly believe that everyone should engage with their communities in some capacity. Recently, I have addressed the pressing issue of the lack of Garda in rural Ireland. We have witnessed the closure of Garda stations without replacements, leading to a decline in the sense of safety that once prevailed in the past. If you had an issue, you could visit your local Garda station, where you would know the Garda, and they would know you and your family. This connectivity between the community and the Garda was always available and should have been continued. We've had some exceptional Garda in West Cork, and I often mention their names here, such as Jonathan McCarthy, and the reason I do is that he lives in the Garda, in the same community as he works, in Balladab, which is hugely important to the people of the Mizden Peninsula to have a Garda living in the Garda station there, and his family are there. Which is a great, I suppose, service to the local community. Also, Damien White is another Garda that comes to mind that works with the youth, and we have the Garda Youth Awards. So the point I'm trying to make is that not all young people are bad. There's an incredible amount of great young people out there, and they have a huge amount to offer, and we need to squeeze that out of them. And the only way you can do that is through the Garda Youth Awards, both at divisional and national levels, to celebrate outstanding young people, aged between 13 and 21, recognizing the positive contributions they make to their communities. The very first Garda Division of Youth Awards were established by a local juvenile liaison officer in West Cork in 1995. He recognized the tremendous efforts of young people in the community that deserved acknowledgement. Since then, the wars have grown significantly. We have some great young people in our country, and we shouldn't always be down on them. I recently met one such lad at St. Patrick's Day Parade in Skibreen, a 15-year-old, Evan Collins, a kickboxing world champion. There are many more great young people in this country, and we need to ensure they are involved in the community, giving them something to do and encouraging them to get involved. At Independent Ireland, we advocate for increased Garda funding, housing support and recruitment initiatives for the Garda Youth. We also believe that repeat offenders should face appropriate consequences for their actions. Furthermore, we hold that non-citizens who commit serious crimes should be deported immediately, and applicants with violent or sexual convictions should not be allowed entry into our country. And before I close, I do mention quite a lot of young people there. And one young man in West Cork has done quite a lot and probably has gone unnoticed. This is Aidan Burke. He's kind of a rap musician. I met him recently. And he put together a song for mental health, for young people that have mental health problems. And he needs to be recognised. And this is what we need to do, is recognise the good young people out there. And Deputy Kent.