Cllr Aoife Masterson says tackling anti-social behaviour is becoming increasingly difficult due to staffing shortages.
Gardaí in the Midlands are severely under-resourced.
That is according to Cllr Aoife Masterson, who says tackling anti-social behaviour is becoming increasingly difficult due to staffing shortages and a lack of prison capacity.
Her comments come as fellow Offaly County Councillor Hugh Egan has put forward a motion calling for a new prison to be built in the Midlands.
Cllr Egan says anti-social and threatening behaviour is on the rise across the region, while existing prisons are struggling to accommodate more offenders.
He has highlighted the need for a crackdown on such behaviour, arguing that additional prison capacity is necessary to help address the issue.
However, Cllr Masterson says Gardaí are facing significant challenges in dealing with crime due to a severe lack of resources and personnel.
The Sinn Féin representative pointed to a fatal arson attack in Edenderry last year, following which she says a meeting was held involving Deputy McCormack, local councillors and the Minister for Justice.
Cllr Masterson claims that, despite the concerns raised at the meeting, the area was allocated just one additional Garda to help respond to future incidents.
She says the situation highlights the difficulties facing local Gardaí and the need for greater resources to protect communities across the Midlands:
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