Mother of assaulted teen vows to keep fighting for Garda station after Dail debates issue

The mother of a teenager who is campaigning for a full time garda station in Laytown after her son was brutally assaulted in an unprovoked attack on Bettystown Beach says that “she is not going to stop until she gets a result.”

Mornington mother Tania O'Neill recently held a protest in the seaside town calling for garda supports in the area following the savage attack by a frenzied mob earlier this month.

Tania says she is “hopeful” that action will be taken following issue being raised by Deputies Fergus O'Dowd and Ged Nash in the Dail last week.

The request for Minister for Justice to consider the move was one of the topical issues selected by the Ceann Comhairle.

Speaking for the urgent need for garda resources in the area the concerned mum said:

“It’s after ramping up, the whole issue is after going all the way to the top so they are starting to listen.

“The reply is something I already heard from the Minister of Justice prior to it going to the Dail. We will get a proper reply from the Garda Commissioner hopefully in the next two weeks.

“There is a big shake up happening and they are looking at the East Meath region as a priority because something has to be done before someone is killed.

“Ashbourne station looks after a population of 100,000 people so they are completely inundated. Every other area has their own superintendents and own station and have around the 30,000 mark. We are the second biggest area in the county and don’t even have a Garda station never mind our own super.

“I’m not going to stop until I get a result.”

Commenting on the issue in the Dail, TD Fergus O’Dowd said:

"East Meath is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. The garda station was built 20 years ago meeting the needs of a quarter of the population that is currently there. When you compare all of the electoral areas in Meath Trim, Kells, Ashbourne, Navan, Ratoath, what have they all got in common?

"They all have a full time 24/7 garda station, they all have a superintendent. East Meath, Laytown, Bettystown, which has a further population of 34,000 to be added to by I reckon about 10,000 new homes over the next number of years does not have those services and needs them urgently.

Labour TD Ged Nash added:

"I think that is an absolute scandal that the electoral district with the second largest population in the county of Meath does not have a full time garda station, that is utterly indefensible.

"I can’t put it any simpler when I say Laytown and the wider East Meath area demands and needs a 24/7 seven days a week station.