Walkout by gardaí at ‘unsafe’ station

MORE than 100 gardaí are to engage in a walkout today.

The 101 officers based at Sligo Garda station are taking the action due to ongoing health and safety concerns.

They say they are no longer prepared to work from the three-storey station as it is ‘overcrowded’ and ‘unsafe’.

Ray Wims of the Garda Representative Association, who claimed the issue has not been addressed since it was raised over a year ago, said: ‘We have not stopped work, we are all reporting for duty as normal.’

MORE than 100 gardaí were last night preparing to move out of their station in Sligo town because of ongoing health and safety concerns.

From this morning they say they are no longer prepared to work from the three-storey station.

‘Gardaí do not believe they can continue to work in overcrowded and unsafe conditions,’ said Ray Wims of the Garda Representative Association.

Garda Wims added: ‘Members felt ignored that even after the GRA Health and Safety report of 2016, and the An Garda Síochána report of 2016, and a critical report by the An Garda Síochána professional standards unit, nothing significant has been done to make the station a safe, clean place to work in.’

The walkout was due to go ahead in October last year but was deferred to give time to address the concerns.

Garda Wims said: ‘We have not stopped work, we are all reporting for duty as normal.’

Commenting on the matter, the Garda Press Office said: ‘An Garda Síochána has been endeavouring to resolve the matters raised in relation to Sligo station.

‘These efforts will continue. If required, An Garda Síochána will put in place a contingency plan and this will be communicated to the people of Sligo.’

The Department of Justice said: ‘Sligo Garda Station, [which] houses the regional headquarters for An Garda Síochána, is a historic building. Some refurbishment work has taken place recently and there is a programme in place to build a new station in conjunction with the OPW through a public-private partnership.’

In a statement, the Office of Public Works said: ‘The OPW continues to progress the acquisition of a suitable site for the new Garda station in question. As negotiations are still under way, the detail of any sites being considered cannot be disclosed at this stage.

‘The OPW are progressing the negotiations as a high priority and will complete the process as soon as possible.’