Gardaí at a Border Garda station in Co Louth yesterday left the building citing health and safety issues.
Officially the gardaí are relocating to Hackballscross, another station close to the Border, but it is 14 miles west of Dromad and yesterday's action was effectively a walk-out by the 10 gardaí in protest at the failure of the authorities to find a new premises.
The station and adjoining lands were the subject of compulsory purchase orders to facilitate the construction of the next stretch of the upgraded Dublin to Belfast road.
The 14 kilometre road is due to open to motorists within 18 months. Garda representative Michael O'Driscoll said: "The Garda station is now closer to the proposed road than the site office for the construction workers." The construction of the road is on schedule and people living in a house next door to the Garda station moved out some time ago. However, the gardaí remained in the rundown semi-detached building.
The compulsory purchase orders were issued three years ago and gardaí are annoyed that an alternative station could not be found before now.
Eventually the building would have been left as an island cut off by the new road at the rear and the existing road at its front.
"We were going to leave in August but we were told it would be resolved but nothing has been done to rectify this situation and it has got worse and the new dual carriageway is at its back door," Garda O'Driscoll said.
In a statement yesterday the OPW said that where the gardaí operated from was a matter for themselves but added: "The OPW have identified a suitable site for a replacement station and the matter is currently with the Chief State Solicitors Office who are dealing with the legalities in acquiring this property with the vendors' solicitors. This is expected to be resolved shortly. The Gardaí are aware of these developments."
The Department of Justice said it was aware of the situation and that the OPW was pursuing the matter.
"The members in Dromad have bent over backwards and were even prepared to work out of Portakabins on whatever site the OPW got for us but nothing has been done," Garda O'Driscoll said.
Meanwhile Garda Supt Pat Magee of Dundalk said the policing of Dromad would not be affected by the relocation.