The procurement process for a new Garda HQ at Military Road in Kilmainham, Dublin 8, is underway. The new facility is due to be completed before the end of 2022. 

The OPW told Gazette.ie that a steering group of representatives from An Garda Síochána, Department of Justice and Equality and the OPW now has oversight of the project, which is now at tender stage, as pre-qualified, main-contractor candidates are assessed.

The specialist sub-contractors are still within the tendering period, with a deadline by the end of this month.

Contracts

All assessments will be completed, and contracts in place, by December 2019. Construction will begin in January 2020 and last for 30 months.

Policing funding in Budget 2020 has increased by €122 million to an unprecedented €1.88 billion. The capital allocation to An Garda Síochána in 2020 is also increasing by 26% to a total of €116.5 million.

Upgrades to the Garda estate will provide fit-for-purpose facilities for gardaí and staff, as well as the public interacting with them, a Department of Justice spokesman told Gazette.ie.

“This is a significant undertaking, as there are over 560 stations nationwide. Capital investment for 2020 includes €32 million specifically for the Garda estate,” the spokesman said.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation.  

The Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme 2016-2021 is based on agreed Garda priorities and will include:

Facilities for crime victims

Major refurbishment of stations and facilities including:

• facilities for meeting victims of crime,
• Essential remedial works to existing stations,
• Large-scale property and exhibit management stores (PEMS), and
• Upgrade of cells and improved custody-management facilities.  

Other major works now ongoing to the Garda estate include:

The development of a six-storey complex at Military Road, near Heuston Station and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Kilmainham, Dublin 8, which will replace the Garda premises on Harcourt Street,

Refurbishment

The major refurbishment of Fitzgibbon Street station in Dublin 1, and

The pilot Garda station reopening project.

Ring-fenced funding has been provided by Government to enable the reopening of Fitzgibbon Street Garda station in Dublin 1. The enabling works have already been completed at the site, and the procurement process for the main works is underway. 

The project is at post-tender stage, with PJ Hegarty & Sons identified as the preferred main contractor, and KD Mechanical and Malone Electrical the preferred specialist sub-contractors, with final funding approvals awaited.

Once funding is sanctioned, a pre-contract meeting will be convened, and then the contract will be awarded. Construction works will last for 12 months, an OPW spokeswoman confirmed to Gazette.ie.

Reopened stations

The final six Garda stations to be reopened have also been confirmed. They are:

• Ballinspittle, Co Cork,
• Bawnboy, Co Cavan,
• Donard, Co Wicklow,
• Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow,
• Rush and Stepaside in Co Dublin. 

Works at Donard have been completed, and that station reopened in March 2019 with work continuing on the other five.

Three major new Garda facilities were also delivered in recent months at Wexford, Galway and Dublin (Kevin Street).