Kilrush gardaí retire in force

FIVE senior gardaí who work in the Kilrush Garda division are due to retire by next February. The retirements of Charlie Killeen (Carrigaholt), Michael Ryan (Labasheeda), John O’Brien (Doonbeg), Brendan Burke (Kildysart) and Mick Kenneally (Kilmihil) come on top of the retirement of six additional Kilrush area gardaí this year and in 2010.
Margaret Rynne (Kilrush), Joe Guilfoyle (Doonbeg), Paddy Coughlan (Kildysart), Richard Burke (Kilrush) and Teresa Martin (Kilrush) have all retired this year, while Garda Joe O’Shea (Kilrush) retired last year. Another experienced Kilrush area-based garda, Michael McDonagh, has transferred to the emigration office at Shannon Airport.
Many of the gardaí who have or are about to retire have not reached garda retirement age.
However, if they were to opt to retire after February 2012, their pension would be based on current pay rates under the Croke Park agreement.
Although an embargo on garda recruitment is still in place, Kilrush Superintendent Gerry Wall is confident replacement gardaí will be recruited from within the force, although he acknowledges the loss of experienced members will be difficult to replace immediately.
“It will take some time but we’ve already started that process some weeks ago in anticipation of what’s going to happen. If we’re fortunate enough and members want to transfer to Kilrush and human resource management at Garda headquarters allow it, well then we could benefit there,” Superintendent Wall told The Clare Champion.
The Kilrush superintendent is confident the experience of the retiring gardaí will be replaced eventually.
“You can’t replace that overnight. That takes time to build but I haven’t any doubts that the members we will get will start that process again and will engage with the communities through neighbourhood watch, joint policing committees, community alert schemes and youth diversion projects,” he said.
Superintendent Wall said systems already in place will be availed of by gardaí stationed in Kilrush.
“We’ve huge support, for instance, for analysis of where crimes are taking place. We’ve got community and business community feedback as well and all of this helps us to decide where we can best target our resources. We do that anyway and we do that quite regularly,” he said.
“The real challenge for us is keeping the connection and information flow in any transfer of replacement personnel. A new person must be fully briefed quickly and brought up to speed,” he concluded.