THE BUILDING OF a new regional Garda headquarters is set to begin in Galway.
The swanky new facility will cost more than €28 million with construction set to start in the coming days, and is expected to take two years to complete.
Similar projects have also gotten underway in the past year at Dublin’s Kevin Street and at Wexford Garda Station.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Galway today, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said that “work was progressing satisfactorily on these sites and that they are on target for completion in 2017″.
The new headquarters will have a 8,000 square metre main building with a 4,000 square metre basement.
These will be made up of a public office; conference, training and custody facilities; a vehicle testing garage; firing range; and victim support facilities.
Speaking about the new facility, Simon Harris, the minister of state with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said, “My office has designed a facility which will provide An Garda Síochána with a wide variety of modern support facilities as befits a modern police force and I have no doubt that this new station will also greatly benefit the citizens of Galway.”
There has been some controversy recently over the amount saved by the closure of regional garda stations around Ireland.
It was reported last month that the closure of 139 rural garda stations had saved just €500,000 a year.
The 2-year contract for the work on the new regional HQ has been awarded to JJ Rhatigan & Company.
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