Government 'planning to close 200 rural Garda stations'
The Government is set to approve the closure of up to 200 rural garda stations, according to reports today.
At present, there are 700 garda stations around the country, with 240 of these operated by just one garda.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter is set to receive a report from Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, who has asked chief superintendents across the country for their input on how to bring numbers down.
The Sunday Independent has reported that the problem is most acute in the greater Dublin area, where 47 stations are open around the clock to serve a population of 1.5 million.
This compares with other police forces such as in Toronto which has only three stations open past 10pm for a population of 2.3 million.
