Penny-pinching Government removes Garda 'little blue men'

Engineers have begun removing the ‘little blue man’ intercoms from the doors of all 42 rural Garda stations throughout County Galway, in the latest cost-saving measure introduced by the Department of Justice.

The move has been slammed by opposition politicians and Gardaí who police the communities as “another attack and causing a huge level of fear and anxiety in rural Ireland”.

Rank-and-file members have criticised the cutback, which they say was carried out with no consultation.

A spokesperson for Galway Gardaí confirmed this week that all 42 Public Access Call Boxes (blue men) will be removed from stations around the county.

The intercom service – originally known as the ‘little green man’ – was introduced in the 1980s for rural stations which are only open for a few hours per week, and allow members of the public communicate with the nearest Garda station which is open.

Another Garda source told the Connacht Tribune: “Apparently the Government can save €600,000 nationally by removing these. Is that the value the Minister puts on somebody’s life?

“In many rural areas, elderly people don’t have a house phone and may not know how to use a mobile, so this is their only means of communications if there’s an emergency. What happens to them now?” the source said.

Dermot O’Brien, Vice President of the Garda Representative Association, slammed the move: “This is a further erosion of the communications the public have with Gardai.”

See full story in this week's Connacht Tribune.