Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, certain things are happening because we now have the divisional change and the Garda Commissioner and the Minister are supportive of a new Garda station in Sligo. I am sorry that the Minister is not here today but to be fair, she did send me her apologies that she could not make it. One always likes, if and when possible, to hear the Minister responsible speaking on these issues. The Minister of State is quite right that the Minister has no role in the independent functions of administration and management of Garda business. However, it is up to the Government to provide funding and a total of €1.3 million was spent on the acquisition of a site at Caltragh, outside Sligo. That site was available back in 2020.

As far as I know, a strategic assessment has to be carried out on the old Garda station and that was supposed to be done in September 2020. We were told that assessment was being done then. Maybe it was done but there has been no report of that assessment. Has that strategic assessment on the old station been done? If so, where is the report? It is my understanding that the Garda Commissioner and the Minister are asking for this, so where is it? It is up to the head of estates to carry out this assessment. We are stuck and cannot move forward until this happens. The Minister of State told me about all of the money that was invested in refurbishing the Garda station but as I said already, that is just throwing good money after bad. That money is being wasted. We need a commitment at various levels. We need a commitment on funding and on the strategic assessment on the old Garda station so that we can move forward and will not have another chapter in this litany of broken promises.

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