Garda Stations

Tuesday, 16 October 2018

Questions (304)

Brendan Ryan

Question:

304. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the expenditure, excluding salaries, on each Garda station in County Louth in the past five years; the requests made by the individual stations in County Louth for expenditure; the criteria by which funding was allocated to the relevant station and-or stations that received funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42209/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy will be aware, it is the Garda Commissioner who is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and as such is responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources at his disposal. The Commissioner is also responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána.

I have asked the Garda Commissioner for the specific information requested and when it is received I will write directly to the Deputy.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A

I refer to parliamentary question No. 304 for answer on 16 October 2018 in which the Deputy asked for information around the expenditure on Garda stations in County Louth over the past 5 years.

As the Deputy will recall, the information you requested could not be obtained in the time available, and I undertook to contact you again when the information was to hand.

The following information is limited to expenditure on building and maintenance works on the stations in question and does not include day-to-day expenditure.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is progressed by the Garda authorities working in close cooperation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), which has the responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Louth Division of An Garda Síochána currently comprises 13 stations, as follows: Ardee, Blackrock, Carlingford, Castlebellingham, Clogherhead, Collon, Drogheda, Dromad, Dundalk, Dunleer, Hackballscross, Louth and Omeath.

I am informed that the OPW has responsibility for undertaking all works carried out at Garda stations. The funding of such works is provided for as per Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 1/2013. This provides that OPW fund certain works related to the fabric of the building and maintenance works.

An Garda Síochána funds works to meet the business needs of the Garda organisation. I am advised that the criteria by which applications are assessed include health and safety, operational efficiency, security, expansion of Garda workforce and whether the works sought would support the Garda Modernisation and Renewal Programme.

Expenditure on these stations for 2014 to 2018 (to September) is detailed in the following table. This comprises expenditure of €1,943,790 by the OPW and €581,963 by An Garda Síochána. I am informed that the expenditure was as follows:

Garda Station	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018 to Sept.
Drogheda	€85,678	€189,695	€39,933	€163,373	€66,080
Clogherhead	€5,607	€519	€34,634	€1,016	€686
Dunleer	€3,353	€12,094	€27,629	€13,640	€4,145
Dundalk	€174,168	€508,576	€212,215	€127,481	€119,809
Blackrock	€8,053	€9,013	€5,049	€14,385	€10,447
Carlingford	€15,597	€8,637	€7,320	€26,560	€19,237
Dromad	€1,974	€4,420	€3,463	€46,381	€13,801
Hackballscross	€3,814	€5,981	€13,022	€8,161	€1,659
Omeath	€1,069	€17,407	€12,491	€22,784	€658
Ardee	€2,110	€14,588	€8,997	€41,210	€28,723
Castlebellingham	€1,657	€6,901	€245	€140,031	€110,622
Collon	€7,522	€2,070	€6,987	€3,086	€5,687
Louth	€3,623	€64,406	€692	€4,414	€468
Totals	€314,225	€844,307	€372,677	€612,522	€382,022

I trust this information is of assistance.