Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister of State. This is perhaps the fifth or sixth occasion I have raised this issue. To build a new Garda station in Sligo is an urgent matter. Every couple of months a colleague of mine, Councillor Marie Casserly, contacts me to keep it on the agenda because this is a long saga. We need to get it sorted. I have raised it so many times with various Ministers, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach. In fact, the last Minister for Justice to visit Sligo Garda station was the current Taoiseach, Deputy Simon Harris. I hope he remembers that visit where he was able to see at first hand that Sligo Garda station is completely unfit for purpose on many different levels. The station is cramped, overcrowded and the working conditions are unacceptable for many of the staff. The station is not compliant with fire regulations and some offices have no natural light or ventilation. There are no parking facilities. There is parking for 20 staff but there are 150 in the building. Staff retention, particularly of administrative staff, is an issue because of the poor working conditions. The limited office space and the very limited workspace is hugely challenging for everyone who works in that building. Except for the public office, the building is not accessible for people with disabilities. The plumbing and heating systems are archaic. They were built in the 1840s.

Should the Minister of State wish to read about this, there is a long saga of promises made and broken regarding the construction of a new Garda station in Sligo. There was a walk-out in 2016 and 2017 due to the frustration of those who work in the station at the really poor working conditions and at promises made that were not honoured.

In 2019, the OPW stated that Sligo Garda station was not fit for purpose. That was five years ago and a commitment was given to develop a new regional and divisional headquarters in Caltragh, in Sligo, on a site that was purchased by the OPW for €1.3 million. Money was allocated in the capital plan to build the station. However, in early 2020, to everybody's absolute dismay, the project was pulped. The Garda Commissioner did not support the building of a new station because of the new Garda operating model. It was decided to refurbish the Garda station. That was a crazy decision. In hindsight, that opinion has been shown to be correct. It was a huge waste of money. We now have new Garda divisions and we are told that the Commissioner supports the building of a new Garda station and so does the Minister.

Therefore, after a long saga and much to-ing and fro-ing, I ask the Minister of State this morning, where are we with those plans? Five years ago, the money was ring-fenced.

Where is it now and will it go ahead? As I said, the Garda Commissioner and the Minister are on board but the OPW has to agree that it is going to go ahead with this and confirm that there is a plan in place. A lot of people are very anxious about this and have asked me to raise it. I am hopeful that after many interventions in this House, including written and oral questions and conversations with various Ministers, we can finally get some clarity on what is happening.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this issue in the House today. I am aware that the Deputy has also written to the Minister about this previously.

The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is committed, as is the entire Government, to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána across the country is central to this policy. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is legally responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. The Minister for Justice has no role in these independent functions and she cannot direct the Commissioner regarding Garda resources, including the need for any new Garda stations.

Works on Garda accommodation are progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the OPW. The determination of the need for the development of a new Garda station in any location is considered by the Garda Commissioner in the context of the overall accommodation requirements arising from the ongoing expansion of the Garda workforce and the availability of capital funding. That is not to say that our gardaí and the people of Sligo do not deserve a Garda station that recognises the significance of Sligo in terms of its population and the fact that it is a gateway for the northwest.

Deputy Harkin will know that An Garda Síochána has invested and continues to invest significant funding in refurbishing the current Garda station in Sligo and while the Minister is unable to intervene in these independent functions, she has made inquiries. She has been informed that An Garda Síochána is working on the strategic assessment and preliminary business case for a new divisional headquarters in Sligo, in line with the procedures in the infrastructure guidelines. The preliminary business case must then be assessed and approved in the context of the funding available for capital projects over the coming years.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, recently announced an additional €29 million for Garda capital buildings from 2024 to 2026. This brings the total funding for Garda capital buildings for those three years to over €179 million. The Minister also understands that Garda estates management met the chief superintendent in Sligo on 27 March and outlined the current situation. The accommodation needs of the division were also discussed at that meeting. The planned introduction of the new operating model in the Sligo division later this year will give rise to additional accommodation needs. Officials from Garda Síochána estates met the chief superintendent in Sligo yesterday, 16 April, to consider the requirements to accommodate the new operating model and will continue to work with the OPW on the works required. I hope that this update, received by the Minister from the Garda authorities, will be of assistance to Deputy Harkin.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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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.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The Deputy asked about the status of the strategic assessment. I will ask the Minister to update her on that. It is the Minister's understanding that Garda estates management met colleagues from the OPW to discuss short-term works to accommodate the operating model within the existing station. The Minister also understands that Garda estates management is considering the accommodation requirements of the new division. As the Deputy knows, a new Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW has been appointed. I will ask him to update the Deputy on the situation from the OPW's point of view.

The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities in rural Ireland and in our towns and cities. To do this, it is vital that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. The Department of Justice is making changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána through the roll out of a new Garda operating model. This will become operational in Sligo and Leitrim later this year. It will provide for more front-line gardaí, increased Garda visibility and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.