Vol. 574 No. 3
135 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Finance the Garda stations which the Office of Public Works is considering selling as part of a restructuring of State properties; if the new Garda stations which will replace the old structures will be built under a public private partnership; and if so, the identity of same. [27040/03]
Following a recent survey carried out by the Office of Public Works, a number of Garda stations have been deemed to be of poor quality and in need of major refurbishment. Many of these stations are dispersed throughout the country and consist mostly of one-man units.
The overall cost of refurbishment would be very substantial and cannot be funded from existing resources. The Commissioners of Public Works consider that the best method of addressing this problem is to engage in an equity exchange programme with the private sector. This programme will involve the disposal to private developers of certain Garda stations which are in need of significant refurbishment in exchange for alternative good quality premises which meet modern standards. These alternative premises may be either newly built or may be existing buildings that satisfy Office of Public Works specifications and Garda requirements. This programme is additional to the ongoing Garda maintenance programme. It is a fundamental requirement of the programme that no existing station will be closed-disposed of until a suitable replacement is ready for occupation.
Subject to the agreement of the Garda authorities, it is intended to run a pilot programme covering a small cluster of stations in the Tipperary-Limerick area.
