Dáil debates
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Other Questions
Garda Stations
10:40 am
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of former Garda stations that were offered for sale on behalf of the Office of Public Works in 2013 and 2014; the total proceeds from completed sales; if any are currently offered for sale; the number that have been transferred to community use; the number that have been reinstated as operational Garda stations following closure in 2012; the number not currently in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5777/15]
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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This is a straightforward question. Will the Minister of State provide up-to-date information regarding the closures of Garda stations that were announced some time ago? How many stations have been sold, what were the total proceeds from such sales and for what have those proceeds been used? How many stations are currently on the market and how many have been transferred to either community use or to other State agencies?
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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.
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister of State clarify whether the proceeds from the various sales were put into the Central Fund or did the OPW retain them? Will he explain what the guardianship arrangement to which he referred involves? Does it involve caretaking duties? How many former Garda stations remain to be dealt with, and have any difficulties been identified regarding the titles to these properties, which might have burdens on them as a result of their physical locations?
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The proceeds from the sale of these former Garda stations went into general Exchequer funds. However, we have made a number available to community groups. There are not any problems with regard to titles of which I am aware but I will forward a note to the Deputy on that matter. I will also send him further details on the guardianship situation. For the Deputy's information, there are 139 former Garda stations in total, 17 of which have been assigned to community groups, 12 have been retained for State use, three are the subject of guardianship arrangements, which are essentially caretaking arrangements, 15 were sold by public auction in 2014, six were sold by private treaty in 2014 - those which I referred to as being sale agreed, a further 40 have been identified for disposal in 2015, 24 are vacant but people are living in the occupied married quarters, nine are leased properties and obviously we are seeking to surrender those leases, and 13 are earmarked for disposal in the future.