Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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58. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to report on progress on the new Garda station for Dublin 7-Dublin 13. [34004/23]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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This question was tabled by my colleague, Deputy Ó Ríordáin. It is asking when a particular Garda station will be built, which is an issue he has raised on numerous occasions.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I assure the Deputy that the development of a substantial new Garda station and facilities on Dublin City Council lands at the corner of the R139 and the Malahide Road at Northern Cross is considered a strategic priority project by An Garda Síochána. The Office of Public Works, OPW, is engaged in ongoing positive interaction with the council, in consultation with An Garda Síochána, on the development of the site at Northern Cross. I am advised that the OPW has undertaken a high-level impact study of the site and a detailed brief of requirements is being developed by An Garda Síochána.

Under the national development plan, NDP, the Government is committed to investing significant levels of capital funding into An Garda Síochána to deliver a Garda station modernisation and refurbishment programme, provide for strategic ICT and digitalisation projects and deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose Garda fleet. This is a core part of the Government's plan to build stronger, safer communities. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the Garda estate. This is something on which I engage with the Commissioner and his team on a regular basis.

I assure the Deputy that the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring the Garda has the resources and facilities it needs to tackle crime and keep us safe. Going back to the previous point, if we are to encourage the recruitment of more gardaí and retain the gardaí we have, they must have the resources they need, including spaces to work, equipment and technology. As criminals becomes more advanced in the tools they use, the Garda needs to have the equipment to deal with them, whether that be body-worn cameras, facial recognition technology, new hand-held devices, the right types of cars or other means of dealing with crime, whether on foot or on bike. There is an absolute priority to invest in these types of projects.

The Northern Cross project, involving the development of a substantial Garda station in the location, is a priority for the Garda Commissioner, his team and the Government. I cannot give specific, detailed timings as to how the project will progress but I know it is at an advanced stage of planning between the OPW and the Garda.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for her reply. However, the point of the question was to obtain a timeline for the project. Much of the Garda estate across the country needs refurbishment or replacement to ensure we are able to attract new gardaí and ensure the falling numbers in the Garda Síochána have decent accommodation and decent places to work. We waited a long time for a decent Garda station in Wexford. It is transformative when there is a brand-new station in a locality. One of the things we did when we had little money was to have bundles of Garda stations built, both under public private partnerships, PPPs, and via direct build by the State. Is tendering for bundles happening? Is it possible to see a significant improvement in the number of Garda stations under construction to deal with the recognised deficiencies in the fabric of the Garda estate?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We have a significant capital plan under way at the moment. Funding for this year was €50 million, with a further €50 million allocated for next year and the subsequent year. I will be seeking an increase in that capital spend in the coming years. As set out in the Summer Economic Statement, there will be an increase in the capital ceiling for the NDP.

There is a variety of different projects under the capital plan, including new builds and refurbishments. Some are much larger than others and quite significant. This particular project will be significant for the area, providing a base for the huge growth in population that has happened in recent years. There are other timelines as well relating to the acquisition of land. There is a whole variety of different projects happening at the moment. The money is there. It is a matter of making sure we have the capacity within the OPW to work with the Garda to ensure these different strands can be progressed in parallel and we are not waiting for one project to finish in an area before we can start the next.

The Deputy asked about project bundles. He may be aware that we recently decoupled a bundle because there was not as much progress as we would like. The plan as we move forward is not to work in that way when we have seen it is not working as we would like.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I understand bundles do not always work but when they do, it means we have five or six major stations being developed at the same time. There are economies arising from that. Is it possible to set out a timeline, even in general terms, for the expected completion of Garda stations? If the Minister has €50 million in capital spending a year and is looking for more, can she set out even an outline of ambition for which Garda stations are a priority sequentially in order that communities would have some expectation and some hope as to when their need for a Garda station will be fulfilled?

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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The Minister might be surprised to hear that if a person pucked a sliotar from the Cuckoo stream, which is just off the Malahide Road in my constituency, it would hit the site on which she is proposing to build a Garda station.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Farrell would be arrested if he did that.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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I was not aware the project was so advanced and I am very pleased to hear it. People refer to the community it will serve as the north fringe because it is located between Fingal and Dublin city. It is important that it should get a Garda station. In agreeing with Deputy Howlin's call for some form of framework for setting out, at the least, a strategy for the delivery of, or upgrades to, Garda stations across the country, I ask that the Minister and Commissioner might look at the likes of Donabate, which is undergoing huge growth and is in the same Garda division as the station we are discussing. It certainly could do with investment like what is being put into the site at the Malahide Road junction.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The question asked for a progress update on the new Garda station in Dublin 7. Deputy Farrell cast out a sliotar to his constituency. I am going to cross the river to Dublin 8, in which Heuston Station is located. A new Garda station was recently announced for that location. I am not sure whether it is a control centre or a Garda station. My main concern is the safety of commuters travelling to and from Kildare, but also anyone travelling on the Heuston line. What impact is that new station having? Will the gardaí stationed there travel on the trains or will they simply be present in the station concourse as rail travellers disembark? Will people be able to report a crime to those gardaí? Will the gardaí be patrolling or is it a case of having an information kiosk? I am asking for a general update on what the station will be used for or how it is already being used. I would appreciate any update the Minister can give.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I might have to get back to Deputy Lawless on some of the detail of his question.

The Northern Cross project is a commitment under the national development plan. It is included in the indicative schedule of works under the Garda capital plan, which runs from 2023 to 2030. The location of the site is the subject of discussion not just between the Garda and the OPW but also Dublin City Council because the proposed site at the Northern Cross is on lands currently owned by the council. There is a huge amount of work and engagement involved just to iron out the details of the site, its ownership and what the plans need to be. The site will consist not only of a new station for the Dublin 13 and 17 areas, which cover Donaghmede and Coolock, but will also act as the divisional headquarters for the Dublin metropolitan region, north division.

As I have said, this is a significant project. I cannot provide a timeline today but, as this project progresses, I hope to be in a position to let Deputies know what type of timeline for completion we are talking about.

I am afraid I will have to come back to Deputy Lawless. It is an expansion of the work that is being done there already. If there is any intention for it to change or for there to be a specific focus on Heuston Station, I will let him know.