Rising garda numbers causes headaches for OPW

The OPW faces an enormous penalty fine should the gardaí fail to vacate the command centre at Harcourt Square in Dublin by the end of next year. Picture: Moya Nolan

The OPW told An Garda Síochána that its entire estate budget for two years needs to be assigned to making sure the force’s command centre is vacated by the end of 2022.

The stark situation facing the OPW, which manages the garda estate portfolio, regarding the command centre at Harcourt Square in Dublin is laid bare in a series of letters from the heads of both bodies.