I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 to 286, inclusive, together.
At the outset it is important to be clear that the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and control of An Garda Síochána and for the effective and efficient use of Garda resources. Further, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. Works in relation to Garda accommodation are therefore progressed by the Garda authorities working in close cooperation with the OPW
As set out in the response of the former Minister to Parliamentary Question Nos. 325, 326, 327, 328 and 329 of 16 June 2020, the decision not to proceed with a new Garda station in Sligo, as part of the Garda PPP programme, was made by the Garda Commissioner in his capacity as Accounting Officer and as the person responsible, by law, for the allocation of Garda resources. This decision was taken in the context of the significant reorganisation of Garda resources which underpins the new Garda Síochána Operating Model announced by the Garda Commissioner last year.
As part of the reduction of bureaucracy and streamlining of administrative processes in the new Operating Model, the number of Garda Regions and Divisions is being reduced and Sligo Garda Station will be neither a Regional nor a Divisional Headquarters. As a consequence, Garda management has decided that a building of the scale envisaged under the original PPP programme is no longer operationally required in Sligo and the allocation of public funding for such a project can no longer be justified.
This decision was communicated to my Department by letter received on 2 January 2020. The substance of this letter pertaining to Sligo Garda station was outlined to the Deputy in response to Parliamentary Question Nos. 325, 326, 327, 328 and 329 of 16 June 2020.
I am informed that, in order to ensure that there is adequate accommodation to provide an effective Garda policing service in Sligo, the existing Sligo Garda station is undergoing a very extensive refit overseen by the Office of Public Works (OPW). This option has been judged by the Garda authorities to be a more appropriate and much faster way of delivering a modern Garda station, in accordance with its role in the new Garda Operating Model and having regard to the fact that the current location of the station is considered optimum from the operational perspective.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the ongoing upgrade works, which include the provision of new cells and custody management facilities, and future planned additional works, are intended to deliver a modernised Garda station in Sligo.
For the information of the Deputy, the following table, furnished to me by the OPW, details expenditure since 2017 on Sligo Garda Station including both the Garda and the OPW votes.
Year
|
Expenditure on Sligo Garda Station (combined total, OPW and Garda Votes)
|
2017
|
€58,362
|
2018
|
€116,117
|
2019
|
€711,093
|
2020
|
€143,275
|
As the Deputy will appreciate, this demonstrates the scale of the works which have been underway to ensure that Sligo Garda station is fit for purpose and meets the needs of An Garda Síochána.
The OPW, as the body responsible for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation, is responsible for ensuring that public buildings are, as far as practicable, accessible to persons with disabilities. The OPW also has responsibility for ensuring the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings under its control. The Deputy will appreciate that these are matters in which I have no direct role as Minister for Justice.