Gardaí angry over station upgrade delay

THE Garda Representative Association (GRA) has reacted angrily to news that the promised refurbishment of a rat-infested garda station has hit another snag.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell promised in September 2005 to resolve the issue at Dunmanway garda station and Government TDs claimed it had been fixed. However, correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner shows that it is far from the case.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) needed to purchase a strip of land adjoining the station so it could carry out refurbishment and extension works.

Gardaí, on the advice of the local fire officer and Health and& Safety Authority, moved out of the station in 2002 and into a nearby rented house.

A letter written recently by a senior official in the OPW said that proof of title on the land it needed was still outstanding.

He added that trying to sign off on a contract without proof of title was “as useful as a shoe shop providing one new shoe without the other”.

An OPW spokesman confirmed that the title “still had to be clarified”.

GRA national executive member, Pat O’Sullivan, said the situation was “totally unsatisfactory” and added that he would have to question the commitment of Mr McDowell to policing in rural Ireland.

“We will be looking for an urgent meeting between the Department of Justice, the OPW, the Garda Housing Section and garda representative associations to discuss this matter,” Garda O’Sullivan said.

He also said that he would ask the GRA to withdraw from a special multi-agency committee which meets every two months to discuss problems with garda stations around the country.

Garda O’Sullivan said that the issue of poor conditions at Dunmanway had surfaced as far back as 1978 and the OPW should have purchased a greenfield site and built a new station on it a long time ago.

Dunmanway-based Senator Michael McCarthy described the latest delay in purchasing a small parcel of land as nothing short of farcical.

“This is despite repeated promises and claims by this Government, and its representatives, that the project has been signed off,” the senator said.

Since 2002 gardaí have been forced to work out of a private rented house in the town. There is insufficient space, no female bathrooms, no closed-circuit television system and no holding cells.

“The lack of privacy also makes this station an inappropriate place for the public to interact with gardaí. This is seriously compromising their ability to serve the community,” he said.

The Labour senator said it was time the Government stopped fudging the issue and provided proper facilities for the gardaí, which would allow them to carry out their work.