MINISTER FOR Justice Dermot Ahern has confirmed that instead of providing funding for a new Wexford Garda station, remedial works are being planned for an old building which houses the existing station.
Gardaí who complain that the existing station is too small believe they are likely to remain at the old station on Roche’s Road, even though the site for a new station has been purchased at Roxborough on the outskirts of the town last year.
The Minister confirmed that the remedial works would be going ahead in an answer to a parliamentary question put to him by Wexford TD Brendan Howlin.
“I’m really, really angry about it now,” said Mr Howlin, who feels that the gardaí, and people of Wexford, have “been sent around the mulberry bush for years now”.
The Labour TD said the Minister’s answer “set alarm bells ringing” and confirmed that there are “no immediate or medium-term plans to build the new Garda station”.
He hit out at then minister for justice Michael McDowell standing in the field at Roxborough prior to last year’s election, heralding the imminent construction of the new Wexford Garda station, and said it was akin to former minister for the environment Ray Burke planting trees in a west Dublin housing estate before a byelection only to have them removed afterwards.
Chief Supt John Roche also highlighted the lack of accommodation for his staff, as well as for the public and prisoners. He confirmed that he and his colleagues will be in their Roche’s Road base longer than he had originally thought they would be.
“We’re still on a priority list, but I don’t think anyone on that priority list will be going anywhere now that the board of works has had its funding cut,” said Chief Supt Roche.
“The only thing in our favour is that we have a site bought and no one has skipped ahead of us on the list,” he added.
Chief Supt Roche said the remedial works approved for the station comprise office accommodation at the back. He said it will consist of “semi-permanent” accommodation, which is of a better standard than portakabins.
He added that they are “very stuck for space” at Wexford Garda station, which is the Divisional HQ and houses about 116 officers.
“It has outlived its usefulness, the working conditions are very confined and if it wasn’t for our excellent cleaning staff and the members themselves we’d be in dire straits,” Chief Supt Roche added.