Marian Harkin
Ceist:
752. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Justice if a full assessment has been carried out on the refurbishment costs for Sligo Garda station, including costs such as those incurred for deep retrofitting and procurement of space when refurbishment is ongoing; the details of same; if it is still the case that the refurbishment works are to be finished in December 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38844/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra
The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner and also the Office of Public Works in relation to this matter but it was unfortunately not possible to compile it in the time available.
I will write to the Deputy directly with the information requested, when it is available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.
SUBSTANTIVE ANSWER:
I refer to Parliamentary Questions Number 752 and 753 for answer on 24 November 2020, in which you requested if a full assessment has been carried out on the refurbishment costs for Sligo Garda station, including costs such as those incurred for deep retrofitting and procurement of space when refurbishment is ongoing; the details of same; if it is still the case that the refurbishment works are to be finished in December 2020, and; if a comparative assessment has been done on the cost of a full refurbishment of Sligo Garda station; the cost of a new build on the site already purchased for this purpose and the details of same as promised in June 2020.
You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the information was available.
You will be aware 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.
As part of the implementation of the new Operating Model, the need for a new station in Sligo has been reviewed by An Garda Síochána and, further to that review, the Commissioner has determined that a new Garda Station in Sligo is no longer justified.
In relation to a comparative assessment on refurbishing the existing Station relative to the provision of a new Garda Station, I have been informed that the rationale for the decision not to proceed with a new Station in Sligo was based on the changed status of Sligo under the new Garda Operating Model, as referred to above.
Nonetheless, the Garda Commissioner is very conscious of the need to provide fit for purpose facilities for Garda members and staff based at Sligo Garda station and it is the intention of An Garda Síochána to continue to work with the OPW to ensure Gardaí operating in Sligo town have a station facility that will be fully fit for purpose.
In this context, it is envisaged that that the refurbished Garda Station in Sligo will fully reflect the functional requirements under the new Operating Model for the Donegal/Sligo/Leitrim Division in order to support the delivery of policing services for the town and community of Sligo and for all Garda personnel based in Sligo.
I am informed by the Garda authorities the works to the cells in Sligo Garda Station are ongoing and that the current projected completion timeframe for this project is Q1 2021. In addition to this, the proposal to develop enhanced accommodation for the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit is currently in the tender development stage. I am advised that the tender documents are nearing completion and it is hoped that tenders will issue in the near future.
With regard to the full assessment of costs required to carry out refurbishment works at Sligo Garda Station, local management advise that it is currently examining the accommodation needs of the Garda Station with a view to submitting a total set of requirements that will seek to enhance welfare, health and safety and operational issues being experienced at present.
On consideration and examination of those requirements and the assessment of the Station’s capacity to meet those requirements, the OPW will seek to develop a programme of works with an associated estimate of costs.
I am further advised that until the requirements of An Garda Síochána is known in this regard, it is not possible to provide an estimate on the totality of costs for the retrofitting of the Station.
For your information, the following table, furnished to me by the OPW, details expenditure since 2017 to end June 2020 on Sligo Garda Station including expenditure by the OPW drawing down on funds in both the Garda and the OPW votes.
|
Year
|
Expenditure on Sligo Garda Station (combined total, OPW and Garda Votes as paid by OPW)
|
|
2017
|
€58,362
|
|
2018
|
€116,117
|
|
2019
|
€711,093
|
|
End June 2020
|
€143,275
|
I trust this information is of assistance.
