Renovation of O’Connell Street Garda Station set to cost €1.1m

The renovation of the new Garda station on O’Connell street will cost an estimated €1.1 million, it has been revealed.

Construction on the building began in October and it is expected to be ready for the use in the first quarter of 2023.

The works are being jointly funded by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and An Garda Síochána.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued the information after responding to a question tabled by Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy.

“The refurbishment and fit-out of 13A Upper O’Connell street is just one project of a number across Dublin garda stations that I will be querying further at the Public Accounts Committee,” Deputy Murphy said.

The OPW and the Gardaí have confirmed that the new station will include a public reception and interview rooms for members of the public or victims of crime, including a separate office for use by the Irish Tourism Assistance Service (ITAS).

The back office, at ground and basement floors, will be used for several workstations, as well as ancillary facilities including a meeting room, tea station, sanitary, storage and welfare facilities.

Earlier this year, An Garda Síochána announced that it was reopening the station that closed several years ago due to budget cuts.

However, it was initially unclear as to whether the building would be used a fully serviceable station or a Garda Liaison Office.

In October, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed that the facility will be designated as an official Garda station and will be used to help tackle anti-social behaviour and criminal activity on O’Connell Street.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee recently voiced her concern about the current condition of the city’s main throughfare saying that “people shouldn’t be seeing somebody getting the head beaten off them walking down the street in our main city.

She said that although Gardaí were responding to violence and open drug dealing on the street, “there is much more that we need to do.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “struck” by some of the violent scenes reportedly seen on O’Connell Street but said that Dublin City Council has to be “at the heart of the rejuvenation of O’Connell Street”.

“Dublin City Council is there to run this city,” he said.