Longford councillors call for increased Garda presence on streets

Councillors have spoken generally about their concerns over an increase in public order offences in Longford with calls for more gardaí to patrol the streets.

Fine Gael Councillor Niall Gannon raised the issue at last week's Longford Municipal District meeting and said it needed to be addressed.

“These things constantly happen and it needs to be stopped,” he said. It is not good enough for our town and we don't want that trouble in our town.”

Officers attended the scene of a public order incident outside a school in Longford Town at about 9am on Wednesday, October 9.

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A video shared widely via social media shows Gardaí responding to the incident outside the school.

There has also been several other public order incidents in Longford in recent months.

Cathaoirleach of Longford Municipal District, Cllr Seamus Butler said the vast majority of people in Longford are law-abiding.
“It is a very small minority and I refuse to be defined in Longford by those people.”

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Cllr Butler also stated he believes an action plan should be compiled by the new chair of Longford Local Community Safety Partnership, retired Garda Supt Seamus Boyle."The physical thing of having guards on the street is the only thing that can deal with this," he said.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Martin Monaghan said he was “demanding” Minister McEntee comes to Longford..