Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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34. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the discussions that have taken place between her Department and An Garda Síochána about establishing a new Garda station in the new town of Cherrywood, Dublin 18. [38121/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, and the use of Garda facilities, across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter.

The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities. Everyone, no matter where in the country they live, deserves to be safe and to feel safe. This is central to the Government’s community safety policy. A strengthened Garda Síochána, with fit-for-purpose facilities, is at the heart of that.

We have provided record amounts to the Garda Vote in recent years to achieve this ambition, with An Garda Síochána receiving over €2.35 billion for 2024, up 25% since 2020. This includes a capital profile of €171 million, including the additional funding I secured under the NDP earlier this year. Within this, over €50 million of which is for the Capital Building Programme.

I have also recently secured additional capital funding of €93 million under the National Development Plan (NDP) for Justice projects in 2024 to 2026. This brings the total capital allocation available for the Justice sector between now and 2026 to €930 million.

Under the 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; to delivering strategic ICT and digitalisation projects; and to providing a modern, fit for purpose Garda fleet.

A new Divisional Headquarters for DMR East will be considered in the context of the next National Development Plan.