Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Office of Public Works' disposal policy with regard to non-operational or vacant Garda stations is first to identify if the property is required or suitable for alternate State use by both Departments or the wider public sector. If there is no other State use identified for a property, the OPW will then consider disposing of it on the open market, if and when conditions prevail, to generate much-needed revenue for the Exchequer. If no State requirement is identified or if a decision is taken not to dispose of a particular property, the OPW may consider community involvement, subject to detailed written submission which would indicate that the community or voluntary group has the means to insure, maintain and manage the property and that there would be no ongoing costs for the Exchequer.

No former Garda stations were offered for sale in 2013. Fifteen former Garda stations were sold at public auction during 2014 to a value of €1,335,000. The list is as follows:

No.	Public Auctions	Value of Sale €
1.	Mallow Road, Cork City	260,000
2.	Baldwinstown, County Wexford	75,000
3.	Cloone, County Leitrim	50,000
4.	Grangemockler, County Tipperary	103,000
5.	Newtowncashel, County Longford	50,000
6.	Lettermore , County Galway	70,000
7.	Inchigeela, County Cork	55,000
8.	Ballinure, County Tipperary	100,000
9.	Dundrum, County Tipperary	90,000
10.	Doon, County Limerick	50,000
11.	Finea, County Cavan	56,000
12.	Tullyvin, County Cavan	45,000
13.	Kilmessan, County Meath	200,000
14.	Longwood, County Meath	76,000
15.	Ballymore, County Westmeath	55,000
	Total	1,335,000

A further six former Garda stations were offered for sale in 2014 by private treaty and are sale agreed. The Chief State Solicitor's office is finalising the contracts for sale. Seventeen stations have been assigned to local community groups. The list is as follows:

No.	Garda Station	Assigned to Community Group
1.	Ballinskelligs, County Kerry	Coiste Forbartha na Sceilge
2.	Ballycastle, County Mayo	Ballycastle Development Company
3.	Ballymote, County Sligo	Ballymote Community Enterprises Limited
4.	Beaufort, County Kerry	Beaufort Community Council
5.	Castletownshend, County Cork	Castlehaven Community Association
6.	Cliffony, County Sligo	Cliffoney Community Development Group
7.	Cootehall, County Roscommon	Cootehall Community Development Group Ltd.
8.	Dromahair, County Leitrim	Dromahair Community Group
9.	Kilgarvan, County Kerry	Kilgarvan Tidy Towns Committee
10.	Mulranny, County Mayo	Mulranny Community Futures
11.	Tourmakeady, County Mayo	Coiste Cultur Teanga and Forbartha Thuar Mhic Eadaigh
12.	Bunbeg, County Donegal	Gweedore Community Council
13.	Donard, County Wicklow	Glen of Imaal Wicklow (Red Cross) Mountain Rescue Team
14.	Rush, County Dublin	Rush Musical Society and Rush Tidy Towns
15.	Doonbeg, County Clare	Doonbeg Community Development Ltd.
16.	Ballymoe, County Galway	Ballymoe Community Development
17.	Kilmeedy, County Limerick	Kilmeady Community Development Group

Another 12 former Garda stations are being retained for State use and the list of these follows. It is quite interesting to note the number of Garda stations that are being used by the State for a variety of alternate purposes.

No.	Name of Station	State Body/ Local Authority
1.	Kill, County Kildare	South West Kildare Partnership
2.	Stradone, County Cavan	Retained by An Garda Síochána for a specialist unit.
3.	Valentia, County Kerry	Assigned to the Irish Coast Guard Service.
4.	Whitehall, Dublin	Assigned to the State Pathologist and Dublin City Coroner.
5.	Harcourt Terrace, Dublin	Currently licensed to five arts bodies. Future use by the Department of Education and Skills to develop a school.
6.	Killaloe, County Clare	Killaloe/Ballina Family Resource Centre
7.	MacCurtain Street, Cork	Agreement reached with Cork City Council.
8.	Barrack Street, Cork	Agreement reached with Cork City Council.
9.	Mary Street, Limerick	For transfer to Limerick City Council.
10.	Edward Street, Limerick	For transfer to Limerick City Council.
11.	Loughglynn, County Roscommon	Transfer to the HSE for use as an ambulance base.
12.	Ballina, County Mayo	Engaging with Mayo County Council for development

No former Garda stations closed in 2012 have reopened as operational Garda stations. The OPW has retained three former Garda stations in Dublin for their strategic value and has entered into a pilot guardianship arrangement in respect of the properties located at Dalkey, Stepaside and Kill of the Grange. Ten former Garda stations in the south east will be auctioned in March or April, with a further ten in the mid-west to be auctioned in the second quarter of this year. The OPW is preparing the legal background work on a further 20 former Garda stations with a view to their going on the market in the third quarter of 2015.

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