Senior gardaí cast doubt on the reopening of station in Stepaside

THE future of Stepaside Garda station hangs in the balance after the acting Garda Commissioner, Dónall Ó Cualáin, indicated that its reopening may not be set in stone.

Senior gardaí appeared before the Dáil’s Public Account Committee yesterday. Mr Ó Cualáin warned that while he had approved the recommendation that Stepaside should be reopened, ‘issues could arise’, such as in relation to the suitability of the building.

The Assistant Commissioner in Dublin, Pat Leahy, was also asked if the reopening of the Stepaside station would be his first priority. He said: ‘It was the only one that met the criteria that had been set out.’

However, Mr Leahy then continued: ‘From a personnel point of view, it would not have been my priority. I have other pressing demands on resources across the region.

‘If I was being given extra, additional, manpower today, Stepaside would not be my first allocation. I could not send gardaí to Stepaside before I’d send them to Ballyfermot, Ronanstown, the north inner city or the south inner city.’

The comments will come as a blow to the Independent Alliance minister Shane Ross, who claimed credit for securing agreement on the reopening of the station in his constituency after making it a key demand of the group for entering Government.

Senior garda civilians also appeared before the PAC to answer questions around the Garda Training College in Templemore.

Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane told the committee it was his understanding that no one had yet been disciplined or held to account for the serious failings within the college.

Fine Gael TD Peter Burke also raised concerns over the fact that up-to-date accounts for the bar in the college had still not been completed.