Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a breakdown of the average cost for a 12 month period for keeping a Garda station open in a rural village, that is, only the additional costs involved such as electricity, general maintenance and so on; if he will provide a projected estimated average cost of what it will take to keep that same Garda station closed, that is, there are still the same fixed maintenance costs in view of the fact that these buildings cannot be sold as there would be no purchasers for them and they cannot be left to fall into disrepair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42554/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the average maintenance and utility cost of a rural Garda station would be in the range Euro 2,500 to Euro 3,000. The Deputy will appreciate that the costs involved will vary from station to station and they will be significantly increased if refurbishment is required.

With regard to the closure of a station, I would stress that the key objective involved is to promote the more efficient and effective deployment of resources rather than to secure cash savings. In this context the Commissioner has concluded in relation to certain stations that Garda resources could be better deployed and more effectively used on the front line if the stations no longer had to be staffed and maintained.

The Deputy will appreciate that once a Garda station has been vacated responsibility for the maintenance of the premises is assumed by the Office of Public Works. That Office has indicated that it will contact the Deputy directly in relation to the maintenance costs involved.