Cllr hits out over delay in delivering new Garda station

SALLY HARDING

A local councillor and general election candidate has voiced her concern over the delay in progress in delivering a new Garda station for Laytown.

A commitment to delivering the station was made Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in late 2022 and funding for the project was allocated in the Multi Annual Capital Programme with the OPW tasked with identifying a suitable site.

However a recent update stated that a business case needed to completed before the project could move forward.

In a response to a question from Sinn Fein TD Darren O'rOURKE seeking an update on the issue ,the office of Paschal Donohoe The Minister for Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, O Rourke was told:

"An Garda Síochána had prepared an initial Business Case for the acquisition for a suitable site/ property for New Garda Facilities in nine sites, including a New Station for Laytown. The Office of Public Works are engaging with An Garda Síochána to progress the development of the Business Case."

Laytown/Bettystown Cllr Maria White has expressed her dismay regarding the "lengthy and mysterious process" involved in having a new fit for purpose Garda station built for East Meath.

"In November 2022 the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee welcomed a commitment from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris regarding a new station for the area," said White.

"However two years have passed since this with no change in the situation and the community is becoming increasingly frustrated," she added.

"There appears to be a rise in anti- social behaviour and a lack of visible Garda presence, coupled with this Meath has the lowest number of Gardaí per head of population in the country.

"Our population is one of the fastest growing populations in the country and it is just so unfair that we do not have our fair share of Garda resources. Our county and our community has a right to be better protected."

In preparation for a public meeting held by White and O'Rourke in September on the issue of Garda numbers in the area they sought data in relation to where the process was at and received a response clarifying that a business case was being developed.

"This was the first we heard of such a thing, two years on from the statements welcoming the news of a new station," said White.

"This response leads to more questions such as why was confirmation given in the first place before a business case was developed?" she added.

"Was the news of a new station for East Meath purely a sound byte? Why has it taken so long to develop this required business case and should Gardaí be taken from frontline work to develop business cases where the need for the new station has already been established by the Garda Commissioner?"

Cllr White added that the lack of transparency around the process involved in finding a site for the new Garda station was frustrating.

"What is clear is that responsibility for finding the suitable site/ building falls to the OPW, who should do so in consultation with the community," said the general election candidate.

"Responses received from the OPW in October and November refer to the OPW working in collaboration with the Garda Síochana to progress the development of the business case," she added.

" It would be extremely helpful to have a timeline for this and it would be helpful to know why has it taken two years to get to this point. The community are eager to engage with the OPW to identify a suitable site is taking far too long. We need to see a sense of urgency about this, we need to see actions and the community is best placed to identify suitable sites given that we go about our business here on a daily basis."