Progress in garda station dispute

JUST a week after the Garda Representative Association (GRA) threatened to remove its members from a station in West Cork, it appears a breakthrough has been made which should resolve the long-running saga.

The GRA made the unprecedented threat after it emerged the Office of Public Works still hadn’t received title deeds for land it needs to build a garda station in Dunmanway.

Gardaí were forced to vacate their rat-infested station in 2002, and since then have been working out of a rented house across the street.

It emerged yesterday that the family who own the piece of land have, through their solicitor, forwarded title deeds to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office.

Senator Michael McCarthy said: “The fact that the title of the plot of land at the rear of the garda station is with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office is a step forward, but it must not be forgotten that it has taken 29 years to get to this point.

“It would be reasonable to imagine that even Basil Fawlty would have made more progress on this issue than the present Justice Minister, Michael McDowell. It’s time for this Government to wake up and realise the disaster that this project has turned into. The people of Dunmanway deserve better than false promises; they deserve better than this unmitigated failure.”