Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am joined by my colleague from Sligo-Leitrim, Deputy Eamon Scanlon. Deputy Tony McLoughlin is also present, and I know this matter is very close to the heart of Deputy Martin Kenny. It concerns Sligo Garda station, a regional and divisional headquarters which houses an assistant commissioner, a chief superintendent, a superintendent, 140 gardaí and 20 civilians. For many years it has not been fit-for-purpose and it was condemned by the regional safety adviser of An Garda Síochána in October 2015. In July 2016 an independent health and safety specialist, Mr. Michael O'Reilly, who was hired by the GRA, also condemned the cells. Since October 2016 no drinking water has been available. We all salute the heroics of a number of gardaí who, on no less than four occasions throughout the summer months, saved people from the River Garavogue but did not have a shower to warm them up and clean themselves in afterwards.

This is totally unacceptable and a walkout was arranged by staff in October 2016, although it was deferred on the basis of absolute assurances from management that temporary works would be carried out to make the existing Garda station usable and safe until a new Garda regional headquarters was built. To this day no works have happened and this is totally unacceptable and an insult to the people of the north-west region. This regional office is the headquarters for Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal and Louth.

This is happening against the backdrop of the cynical reopening of Stepaside Garda station. An apparent leak to the media from a report to which the Committee of Public Accounts, of which I am a member, was refused access suggests the decision was based on population increases, which is another dubious retrofit to satisfy political gain. In Meath, the Garda stations in Kilmessan and Crosskeel have closed while Athboy and Oldcastle are push-button situations. However, there has been a 59% increase in property theft and an increase in burglaries of 44% in that county. The county has also had the same increase in population, according to census 2016, as Dublin at 5.9% but Stepaside was a very specific case, at the expense of the likes of Sligo and Meath. What is the reason for this?

The people cannot take politicians seriously unless they do what they say they are going to do but the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, was in Sligo on 21 August and said we would have a site for the new Garda station within three or four weeks. This is week six but nothing has happened except an absence of drinking water, condemned cells and prisoners in a regional headquarters being transported 15 miles after public order arrests on a Saturday night. What is it that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, has? Outside the Step Inn, in the run-up to Christmas 2015, the champion Independent could be seen wearing a Santa Claus hat. Straddling him was Councillor Kevin Daly holding a sign reading "Open Stepaside Garda station". What happened? It is reopened based on a spurious criterion while the people of Sligo are forced to suffer and the people of Meath, with the same population increase as Dublin, are dismissed and thrown under the bus.

Does the sum of the Ministers, the Meath Deputies Regina Doherty, Damien English and Helen McEntee, not equal the influence the great almighty himself, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has on Government? The assistant Whip, Deputy Tony McLoughlin, Deputy Eamon Scanlon, Deputy Martin Kenny and I represent three different political entities and are all committed to the same thing. Do we have no say? When it comes to giving gardaí the basic working conditions they deserve, are we making the criteria up as we go along?

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, who, unfortunately, cannot be here today, I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I also recognise the interest Deputies Scanlon, Martin Kenny and McLoughlin, who has previously raised the matter, have in the issue.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of Public Works has primary responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation and works closely with the Garda authorities in this regard. The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises that An Garda Síochána must also have the modern technology and other resources, including fit-for-purpose buildings, necessary to do its job and notes that the capital plan 2016-2021 secured resources in this regard. The Deputy will be aware of the significant efforts being made by Government to enhance the working environment generally for members of An Garda Síochána, and of the major investment that has been committed under the capital plan 2016-2021 to upgrade Garda premises, the Garda fleet and Garda ICT infrastructure. This is evidenced by the Garda station building and refurbishment programme 2016-2021, which is an ambitious five-year programme that will benefit over 30 locations around the country and includes over €60 million of Exchequer funding as part of the capital plan as well as a major public private partnership project.

Under the programme, a new Garda station is to be provided in Sligo, together with stations in Macroom and Clonmel, by means of public private partnership. The Deputy will be aware that, in order to secure a suitable site for the Sligo development, the Office of Public Works placed advertisements in local and national newspapers in January 2017 seeking expressions of interest from property owners or developers, with returns received in February 2017. I am informed that the Office of Public Works, together with Garda estate management, reviewed the submitted proposals in early April 2017 and a number of suitable sites have been identified as possible options for the development. In this context, the Office of Public Works is now actively progressing the acquisition of a site and I understand that the aim is to reach agreement on the purchase of a suitable site very soon. The Minister has been advised that, pending the development of the new station, local Garda management and the Office of Public Works have been working closely to develop proposals to improve the accommodation situation in the existing station. This includes exploring options for the relocation of certain functions outside the station and reconfiguring the premises to meet the needs of front-line operational personnel and to address space or health and safety concerns.

Further, the Minister has been assured that, within every Garda division, there are adequate custody facilities to meet legal standards. I also understand that other short-term measures have been taken to address and improve the accommodation situation at the station. For example, works to fully refurbish the toilets above the public office were completed in late July 2016 and a new industrial-standard kitchen facility has been installed.

On behalf of the Minister, I want to reassure the House that the Government is fully committed to proceeding with its major investment programme that aims to provide new stations and to modernise older stations at key locations around the country, ensuring a safe, modern working environment for gardaí as well as fit-for-purpose facilities for visitors, victims and suspects.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As is so often the case, all people are equal but some are more equal than others. Just because Deputies McLoughlin, Scanlon, Martin Kenny and I did not stand bearing gifts, as Santa Claus Ross did outside the Step Inn at Christmas 2015, it seems the OPW is pressing ahead and is at an advanced stage of reopening the semi-derelict building in Stepaside, and this was confirmed by the acting commissioner at the Committee of Public Accounts last week, just to placate the Minister, Deputy Ross, and to keep him on board in the Government. It seems the Ministers, Deputies Regina Doherty, English and McEntee, can go to hell despite the fact that their county has had the same population increases. The same applies to Deputies McLoughlin, Martin Kenny, Scanlon and me because nobody cares about the people of the north west. Here we are again, getting an IOU, which reminds me of "Dumb and Dumber" and the promise "That's as good as money, Sir." The Minister is telling us he has great plans, he will do this and do up the other but nothing has happened yet. Ask the GRA, ask the detective branch and ask the assistant commissioner. I do not blame any of them as they are living and working in conditions that are not fit for anybody. If this was a private sector premises it would have been closed down already but because it is in-house, people are told to keep quiet. They are told that they will be looked after in due course but the sum of McLoughlin, MacSharry, Scanlon and Martin Kenny, not to mention the three Meath Ministers, Regina Doherty, McEntee and English, does not equal that of Ross.

What does the Minister have to say to the people of Sligo? I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, is not the line Minister and I mean no disrespect to him but it is a further example of the contempt shown to the people of Sligo that the senior line Minister does not have the courtesy or the manners to come here to discuss the issue. Instead, we have the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran - who is a fine gentleman - coming to Sligo, promising a site within three weeks but nothing has happened. We saw the tweets from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, announcing the opening of Stepaside Garda station at the beginning of June. The deputy commissioner confirmed to us at the Committee of Public Accounts last week that it was under way but Sligo can wait.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I must be in the wrong place this evening because I thought I was discussing Sligo and not Stepaside. Once again, on behalf of the Minister-----

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

So did we, but it seems that the priority the Government is giving to Stepaside does not equal that of Sligo. Therefore, why would I not give Stepaside as an example.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is inviting comment.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I was addressing the Chair.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As I mentioned, the provision of a new Garda facility in Sligo is a key component of the Garda station building and refurbishment programme 2016-2021, which is an ambitious five-year programme that will benefit more than 30 locations around the country.

In the context of the proposed new station in Sligo, the Office of Public Works is progressing the acquisition of a suitable site, having placed advertisements locally earlier this year. I want to repeat that because I do not think it was heard earlier. The Office of Public Works is progressing the acquisition of a suitable site. Furthermore, local Garda management and the Office of Public Works are working closely to improve the accommodation in the existing station. This is in addition to the other short-term measures that have been taken to address and improve the accommodation situation at the station. For example, works to fully refurbish toilets above the public office were completed and a new industrial standard kitchen has been installed.

On behalf of the Minister, I again want to reassure the House that the Government is fully committed to proceeding with its major investment programme that aims to provide new stations and modernise older stations at key locations around the country, including Sligo, to ensure a safe, modern working environment for gardaí as well as fit-for-purpose facilities for visitors, victims and suspects.

I am sure the Deputy will be there when we eventually reopen this new station which will be before too long.