SIX NEW Garda divisions will come into operation next year following the redrawing of boundaries of several existing divisions.
Announcing the changes yesterday, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the new divisions would mean a number of counties which previously were split will now have their own Garda divisions.
Galway will have its own Garda division on January 1st, whereas in the past it was split with Galway west having its own policing division, while Galway East shared a division with Roscommon.
Waterford too will also have its own Garda division in the second quarter of 2009. Up to now it shared a division with Kilkenny, while Westmeath, which up to now shared a division with Longford, will also have a division of its own from the beginning of next year. The other new divisions have been named as Kilkenny/Carlow, Roscommon/Longford and Kildare, which up to now was linked with Carlow.
The Garda commissioner said the Garda divisions were being brought into line with local authority boundaries "so we can work more effectively with joint policing committees and work in partnership with communities to deliver an efficient, focused and professional service to everyone".
The Garda Síochána Policing Plans 2008 and 2009 outline the Garda Commissioner's plans to change regional and divisional boundaries.