Over 200 garda stations could be closed throughout Ireland as the police force prepares for government cuts in its spending in the upcoming budget.
Garda commissioner Martin Callinan has asked chief superintendents around the country to draw up a list of stations that could be closed as part of the cut.
It is believed 24 stations have already been earmarked for closure in the Donegal division. Although the county's division is large and mainly rural, therefore containing more part-time stations than others, similar numbers of closures could be identified in locations such as Cork and Kerry.
The stations most likely to be closed are those manned by one garda and opened only part-time. There are 240 one-man garda stations nationwide, with a total of 700 stations altogether.
The move to identify stations that could be closed comes as at a time when policing is already contracting significantly. The Garda Siochana is facing a large fall in members as the rate of retirement increases, combined with the suspension of garda recruitment.
Numbers have already fallen by 500 to about 14,000 and an estimated 1,200 members have 30 years of service and are entitled to take early retirement immediately.
A large number of these are expected to retire before the end of February in a bid to maintain their full pensions. Any public servant who retires after that point will see their pensions reduced in line with recent public sector pay cuts.
