Extra Gardai to be drafted into Galway for Halloween

Garda Chief Superintendent Tom Curley has said that any outstanding Garda overtime for this year will be used on Hallowe’en night.

He confirmed to the Galway City Joint Policing Committee that more Gardaí will be on duty for the night.

“We will have a plan in place,” he said, adding that an additional 15-20 Gardaí will be drafted in on overtime to police the night.

The City Manager, Brendan McGrath, said “prevention is better than cure” and he assured the meeting that local authority staff would be on the look-out for ad-hoc bonfires in the run-up to Hallowe’en night.

The issue was raised by City Councillor Terry O’Flaherty, who sought assurances that enough personnel would be in place to combat any illegal bonfires. Recently she met four young children strolling through an estate on the east side of the city with a mattress that was to be used as fuel in a bonfire.

She urged the authorities to put in place an action plan for the night, which is usually one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services.