A NUMBER of retired gardaí are facing legal action because they are continuing to live in accommodation in rural Garda stations long after their retirement from the force.
Most of the accommodation consists of living quarters either attached to or above rural stations, where a garda has traditionally lived in order to make himself available to the local community at short notice.
However, some retired members have proven reluctant to move out of the accommodation, for which they pay only nominal rent to the State. The Office of Public Works (OPW), which owns all Garda buildings, has initiated civil proceedings in one case. There are at least seven other cases that could result in legal proceedings. The civil case already initiated has been taken by the Commissioner of Public works against a retired garda in the heart of the west Kerry Gaeltacht.
In court documents lodged in Tralee, the Commissioner of Public Works claims that Ciarán Clancy, of the Garda Residence, Gort Mór, Ballyferriter, has “refused or omitted to quit and deliver up possession of the house”.
The matter came before the monthly sitting of Dingle Court last month, but has been adjourned to next October, the Courts Service confirmed yesterday. Mr Clancy, originally from Co Clare, has been retired for a number of years. Efforts to contact him yesterday were not successful.
An Irish speaker, he lived with his wife and children for more than 20 years in the Ballyferriter station. However, while he has now retired and his children have grown up, he remains living in the accommodation alone. One of his sons is a garda.
The Irish Timesunderstands there are at least seven other similar cases involving retired members who are living in Garda accommodation long after retirement. At least two of those cases involve rural stations in Co Kerry.
Ballyferriter, like other rural stations, is open only a few hours a day and is served by the nearest town, in this case Dingle, with a garda from Dingle assigned to the area.
Garda sources said the opportunity to live for a period of years almost rent-free in Garda accommodation such as that in Ballyferriter would be very attractive to young members of the force. Tenants are assigned to such accommodation by the local Garda superintendent.
An OPW spokeswoman said the allocation of tenants to Garda accommodation was a matter for the Garda and she referred queries to Garda Headquarters in Dublin. However, Garda sources pointed out that all Garda buildings are provided by the OPW.
The same sources said that because the tenants involved are retired and therefore no longer gardaí, Garda Headquarters has no responsibility for them or influence over them.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said he did not want to comment on individual cases, but it was desirable for retiring gardaí to vacate station accommodation.
“We are working with particular individuals to try and achieve a successful outcome,” he said.