GRA refuses to believe OPW garda station news

THE Garda Representative Association (GRA) says it won’t believe the OPW has reached agreement with a landowner allowing a new garda station to be built in Dunmanway unless it sees written proof.

The OPW said yesterday that terms had been agreed to acquire land and it is waiting to sign legal documents. However, a spokesman couldn’t say when this would be done, or when construction would get underway.

Gardaí were forced to leave their dilapidated, rat-infested station five years ago. Promises were made at the time that the station would be refurbished and that a small piece of land would be purchased to the side of the building to provide for an extension. Eight months ago Minister for Justice Michael McDowell promised to speed up the process, after the GRA staged a protest in Dunmanway.

GRA national executive member Pat O’Sullivan said that, as far as he was concerned, the project hadn’t progressed one iota.

“Until I see confirmation in writing I wouldn’t believe anything. I do not believe anything from the OPW anymore,” said Garda O’Sullivan. Senator Michael McCarthy echoed his sentiments.

“I think the OPW are just going through the motions. They always seem to be on the verge of closing a deal. They have not made it clear when they will go out to tender, when work on the station will start and when it will reopen,” said Mr McCarthy.

Currently gardaí are forced to operate out of a totally unsuitable private rented house.

“There are serious health and safety shortcomings with no female bathrooms, insufficient space, no closed-circuit television system, and no holding cells. The lack of privacy also makes this station an entirely inappropriate place for the public to interact with gardaí,” Mr McCarthy said.

Prisoners have to be taken to Clonakilty, which means that gardaí can be absent from Dunmanway for anything up to two hours.

Senator McCarthy also claimed that the OPW was considering other options.

“They were looking at the purchase of a green field site, or the purchase of another suitable premises. This calls into question the OPW’s commitment to the refurbishment in the first place,” Mr McCarthy added.