Gardaí stall walkout at archaic station after last-minute talks

By Sean O’Riordan

Thursday, May 06, 2010

RANK-and-file gardaí have decided to postpone a planned walkout of an archaic Garda station in mid-Cork for a month.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) had planned the protest yesterday in Macroom, but decided at the 11th hour that it would be it on hold following a meeting with senior Garda management and the Office of Public Works.

GRA central executive committee member Pat O’Sullivan said the action was postponed in order to give the OPW and management a chance to find alternative accommodation in the town.

"We believe there are a number of suitable locations around the town which could serve as a Garda station. If they don’t find one we will walk next month and that’s a given. There will be no backing down on that," Garda O’Sullivan said.

There are 53 gardaí working in the station amid what has been described as dire conditions. Just 16 were working there in 1980 and there hasn’t been any extension built in the interim.

The GRA has highlighted a litany of complaints including the fact that gardaí are forced to clean out "faeces and urine" as toilets in the cells regularly block up.

A total of 18 female gardaí are sharing one toilet and there is no hot water in it.

There is no fire escape on the second floor and the 10ft by 10ft kitchen doubles as an interview room.

Meanwhile, 16 members of the traffic corps are assigned to an office there which is the size of a telephone box.

Gardaí management and the OPW had a plan to refurbish the station and build a substantial permanent extension.

While that work was being undertaken they said they would erect a temporary 2,000sq ft office at the rear of Macroom courthouse.

It was said by Garda management that the temporary structure could be in place by next September.

However, the GRA says its members won’t wait that long and want an alternative building for their work.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, May 06, 2010