Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to the House. I am very pleased he is here to discuss this very important issue. As the Minister of State will appreciate, there is a growing level of urgency in regard to the need to progress the project. Unfortunately, gardaí in Sligo expressed their deep concern in late 2017 when they staged a protest about the conditions in which they must work. The current building is more than 150 years old and there was no real surprise when an independent report raised fire safety issues along with health and safety concerns. The Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is aware of this situation and is doing all he can to advance the matter. It must be remembered that there are a number of stakeholders involved in this intensive process.

The programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation nationally, including in Sligo, is being progressed by the Garda authorities, which work in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works, OPW. The Minister of State will be aware that a new site for the new Garda station in Sligo was acquired near Caltragh in May of last year. There is a clear commitment in place to build a new station with the OPW through a public private partnership development. The OPW confirmed last year that the development of the new station would be progressed under the auspices of the National Development Finance Agency.

I commend all gardaí in Sligo and throughout the State who are doing tremendous work every day on behalf of our communities. I also acknowledge the Government's commitment to investing and strengthening the force. Since the reopening in 2014 of the Garda College in Templemore 2,200 recruits have become members of An Garda Síochána. Garda numbers reached more than 14,000 at the end of 2018.

In light of all this I hope gardaí in Sligo get the modern Garda station they fully deserve in the near future. The Sligo Garda station is a Garda regional headquarters and it is imperative that the new building project starts to make strides shortly. As I said, there are a number of other Garda station projects planned in the State and each is worthy in its own right. The projects take time and it can be a complex process. Today, however, I am highlighting the need to progress the Sligo station project and to ensure that everything possible is being done to move it along.

I commend the work of my colleague, Deputy McLoughlin, who has highlighted this matter on many occasions. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to discuss this important issue and I look forward to coming back here to hear about progress being reported.