Written answers
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Department of Justice and Equality
Garda Stations
Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a breakdown of all operational Garda stations in the State, inclusive of address and contact number, in tabular form; if this information is readily available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2259/17]
Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for decisions in relation to the distribution of Garda resources, including Garda station opening hours, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in these matters.
I am, however, informed by the Garda Authorities that the information sought by the Deputy is available on the Garda Website at 'www.Garda.ie'. The website also includes contact details – address, phone number, e-mail - for all Garda Stations in the State. Notwithstanding stated opening hours, it is of course the case, given the dynamic nature of policing, that smaller stations may have to temporarily close at short notice so that members stationed therein can deal with incidents.
I am further informed that An Garda Síochána has a range of measures in place to enable the public to contact Garda stations. For example, phone calls outside of office hours or to stations that are not manned at the time of the call are redirected to the local District Headquarter station and answered. In cases of non-urgent incidents, it is also possible to email all stations using the Garda website. Emails are responded to at District Headquarters during office hours and forwarded to the relevant Garda station. In situations of emergency members of the public can, of course, contact the emergency services using the 999/112 facility.
These arrangements are, I understand, kept under regular review.
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