Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
232. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the planning construction and delivery timeline for the provision of the new Garda station at Caltragh, County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2466/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.
The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion. Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána, including investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021; and investment of €46 million in the Garda Fleet over the same period.
Considerable capital investment is also being made in the Garda estate.
The Deputy will appreciate that the programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), which has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation.
The Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme 2016-2021 is an ambitious 5-year programme based on agreed Garda priorities, which continues to benefit over 30 locations around the country, underpinned by over €60 million Exchequer funding as well as a major Public Private Partnership (PPP). There has been some good progress on the programme in 2018, as well as in other major projects in relation to the Garda estate, including in particular completion and entry into operational use of 3 new Divisional and Regional Headquarters at Wexford, Galway and Kevin Street Dublin, which collectively required funding of over €100 million. The clear goal of this investment is to address deficiencies in the Garda estate and provide fit-for-purpose facilities for Garda members and staff as well as the public interacting with them.
The Public Private Partnership arrangement included in the Building and Refurbishment Programme is intended to deliver new stations at Clonmel, Macroom and Sligo as well as a new custody suite at the Garda Station at Anglesea Street, Cork.
I am informed by the OPW and the Garda authorities that the OPW has acquired sites for the development of the new stations in Macroom and Caltragh, Sligo. I am further informed that the final outstanding difficulty in relation to completion of transfer of the site at Clonmel from Tipperary County Council to the OPW has now also been resolved and the transfer is now being finalised. On completion, ownership of all three sites will be vested in the OPW.
The development of PPP projects is progressed under the auspices of the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). My Department is engaging with the NDFA with a view to progressing the matter further. My Department is also engaging with the NDFA in relation to delivery via PPP of a Courts Service project at a site in Hammond Lane, Dublin 7.
It is not possible at this point to provide a timeframe for the completion of these projects, including the new Garda station at Caltragh, Sligo. However I can assure the Deputy that delivery of the new Garda stations at Clonmel, Macroom and Sligo through this PPP arrangement is being pursued as a priority.
