SINCE 2017, JUST two new garda stations have been opened across the country, despite a rise in population. 

One of the “new” stations was a replacement garda station for the Wexford Divisional HQ in 2018. 

The other was the new garda station opened on Dublin’s O’Connell Street in 2023. 

The figures were released by the Department of Justice via a PQ response to Labour TD Duncan Smith. 

Smith said the lack of investment in new garda stations has impacted on community safety and “devastated our model of community policing”.

“The illusion of Fine Gael being the party of law and order has been rightfully shattered by their appalling lack of investment in new Garda stations,” he said, referring to the fact that Ireland has had a Fine Gael Justice Minister since 2011 up until this year.

He added that despite Fine Gael’s “bluster”, it has “squandered” its time in the Justice portfolio.

Smith noted that the Labour Party has long called for an increased number of Garda stations across the country. 

“Local Gardaí are pillar stones in their communities and it is due to a direct lack of investment from Fine Gael and indeed Fianna Fáil that many communities do not have or know their local Garda.

“This Government has actively failed to listen to people all across the country who are telling us they feel less safe. They must rebuild the trust they have lost through a stronger model of community policing, which includes ensuring that there are more functioning Garda stations countrywide and more Gardaí to staff them,” the Dublin Fingal East TD said.

There are currently 567 Garda Stations operational across the country.

After the 2008 financial crash, the Government closed over 100 garda stations.