As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 for the administration and management of Garda business. I am advised, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use. The management of the Garda Estate is under the Commissioner's remit and works to refurbish, maintain, or provide new Garda accommodation are progressed by the Garda authorities in close cooperation with the Office of Public Works. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.
The determination of the need for the development of a new Garda Station in Meath, or at any other location, will be considered by the Commissioner in the context of the overall accommodation requirements arising from the ongoing expansion of the Garda workforce and the availability of capital funding, as well as the implementation of ‘A Policing Service for our Future’ (the Government’s implementation plan for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland) and the new Garda Operating Model, which will inform the accommodation priorities of An Garda Síochána over the years 2022-2030.
The 'Drogheda: Building a Bridge to a Better Future' report recently published by Minister McEntee, and carried out by Mr Vivian Geiran, a former director of the Probation Service, recommends that exploration of how to address the issue of the impact of the county boundaries of Louth and Meath, and the corresponding delineation between Garda Districts/Divisions, specifically in relation to the policing of the Laytown-Bettystown area of East Meath, be undertaken. An Implementation Plan for the Report is due to be published shortly.
