‘Time to move' on Macroom garda station

CORK North West Fianna Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan has called for immediate progress on the construction of a new garda station for Macroom. 

Deputy Moynihan said that the past 12 months have been incredibly frustrating for the townspeople as they waited for other locations to ‘get their act together’ so that they could progress with the construction of their own garda station.

‘The site for a new garda station in Macroom between Millstreet Cross and Glenview Motors was purchased well over 12 months ago, but the development has been delayed as a result of the need to secure land acquisition for two other stations, in Clonmel and Sligo, before it could move to the next stage,’ Deputy Moynihan told The Southern Star.

‘I’m led to believe that the acquisition of a site in Clonmel has concluded and that the contracts for the Sligo station will be signed in a matter of days,’ Deputy Moynihan added. ‘If this is the case,’ he continued, ‘we need to ensure that the Macroom station moves to the next stage without further delays.’

Deputy Moynihan said that the State must now use all options available to it to ‘fast track’ planning for the station.

‘I’ve been raising this issue repeatedly in the Dáil over the past year and I know that the people of Macroom and surrounding communities are incredibly frustrated and indeed exasperated with how this PPP (Public Private Partnership) project has been rolled out.’

The condition of Macroom Garda Station was described as ‘deplorable’ at a Garda Representative Association (GRA) conference almost exactly two years ago as reported in The Southern Star,  where delegates were told that there was only one toilet catering for up to 18 female staff, and that there is no fire escape, but there is a ‘old timber’ stairs.