Shane Ross refutes ‘stroke politics’ claims

A defiant Transport Minister Shane Ross has said the decision to reopen Stepaside Garda Station in his constituency was not “stroke politics”.

Speaking last night, he defended the decision to reopen the station, saying: “I did what I said I would do. I used my clout to reopen Garda stations over the country. It was not stroke politics. The case to reopen Stepaside was compelling; that is why it happened.”

Mr Ross refuted comments from his Independent Alliance colleague John Halligan in an interview with the Irish Examiner last month that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised to deliver on Stepaside days before he succeeded Enda Kenny. Mr Varadkar and Mr Ross are under fire for the “political stroke” which led to the June 13 decision to reopen Stepaside Garda Station ahead of other stations.