New Sligo town garda station is “desired and required”: Chief Superintendent Glacken
CHIEF Superintendent Aidan Glacken says there is “no lack of desire or a lack of will” from local garda management for a new garda station in Sligo town.
Since a planned new station was surprisingly shelved despite tacit recognition that the current building in Sligo is not fit for purpose, there has been a relentless campaign by various politicians to have that decision reversed and a new station built.
Responding to a request for a progress report on plans to build a new station sought by Cllr Marie Casserly last week at a meeting of the Sligo Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Supt Glacken said a new station is “desired and required”, adding: “We are remiss in relation to disability access and there are other issues as well [with the current building]. A modern suitable building is required and desired to serve the needs of the town of Sligo and its environs for the next 50 years.”
He told Cllr Casserly: “As I advised at our last meeting, I have been given an assurance by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that we have his support for a new station in Sligo when and if a Strategic Assessment is concluded and when this is passed on to the Minister for Justice for consideration and the allocation of appropriate funding.”
Asked when this report would be concluded, Chief Supt Glacken said he had been assured this would be done in the next month.
The senior garda said the provision of a new garda station in Sligo town had become a “perennial issue” which features regularly at JPC meetings.
“The site for the garda station in Sligo which was purchased by the Office of Public Works (OPW), remains in place.
“Under the public spending code there is a requirement to conduct a Strategic Assessment on any proposed ‘new build’ and that would be the Strategic Assessment on the existing building, which, I am assured, is almost concluded. When that is done, a recommendation will go to the OPW and the Minister for Justice for funding for a new building.”
Cllr Casserly said she welcomed that news, adding that they had been previously assured the results of a Strategic Assessment would have been passed on “a few years ago now”.
She added: “I know they couldn’t move on this without the results of the assessment, so it is really good news now that when they have the results of this assessment it will show that the current garda station in Sligo town is not fit for purpose.
“It’s great that the Commissioner has finally committed to the new station in Sligo, the nagging, asking and lobbying does work, hopefully the next stage won’t take as long as the first stage.”
Cllr Sineád Maguire said it was great to see some light at the end of the tunnel, adding: “We all know the station is just not suitable”.
Cllr Declan Bree added that Sligo town needed a modern garda station for the 21st century.