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THE WALKOUT FROM Sligo Garda Station earlier this week could create a “domino effect” and see hundreds of officers walk out of their crumbling places of work, it has been warned.
On Monday morning, officers walked out of Sligo station saying they could not work under current conditions.
Gardaí turned up as normal for work but did not enter the building.
An alternative control room has been set up elsewhere in the town and gardaí have reported for duty as usual, the GRA’s Sligo-Leitrim representative Ray Wims explained.
Gardaí in the town have long been unhappy with conditions in the station, he said, citing serious health and safety and overcrowding problems.
And now there is a serious chance that more stations could follow suit, according to GRA representative James Morrisroe.
Morrisroe is based in Bailieboro station in Cavan and represents the Cavan/Monaghan division of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
“I was out with Ray (Wims) at Sligo yesterday. It’s something which is happening in a lot of the northern region’s stations. We’ve been promised a new station in Bailieboro for the last two years and nothing has happened. Only small remedial works have gone ahead.”
‘Just the beginning’
“Right now, I’m seeing a lot of members watching what is going on in Sligo and they’re getting a bit more exercised about their own stations.
Honestly, there could be a domino effect here if the matters aren’t addressed quickly. A lot of members are getting restless.
Morrisroe said that his own post is a good example of the state of rural garda stations.
He said that overcrowding was one of the main issues and also basic problems with the toilets and showering facilities.
However, Morrisroe stressed that it is the safety of members which comes first – adding that his station has not been inspected for fire safety.
“We’ve identified serious problems with a number of stations. Nothing is happening and members are getting worried that their stations are being overlooked again.”
Over in Sligo, Wimvowed not to return until ”serious health and safety, overcrowding issues and fire regulations are addressed by garda management”.
He added: “Members of the GRA that work here in Sligo will not be re-entering Sligo garda station while there’s dangerous conditions in the station that puts their safety at risk.
This is not a protest, members notified garda management that they were not going to enter Sligo garda station on health and safety grounds this morning.
“A contingency plan has been put in place by garda management and the public office and a radio control room has been opened in a different part of the town.”
In relation to Sligo station, a garda spokeswoman said:
“An Garda Síochána sees the action taken over the last two days by members of the GRA at Sligo Garda Station as most unfortunate. We wish to assure the public in Sligo that services are being fully maintained and plans are in place for their continuation.
“Representatives of Garda management engaged in more than 12 hours of discussion with the representatives of the GRA on 17 November. At the conclusion of those discussions, management detailed a comprehensive set of written proposals with the objective of accelerating facility and remedial works at Sligo Garda Station and making them a time bound priority.
“The proposals, which have been formally sent to the General Secretary of the GRA, focus resources on the refurbishment of Sligo Station and the improvement of services and amenities for the benefit of all the station party. Central to the plan is the reestablishment of modern custody facilities in Sligo town.
“The proposals included a provision for a two-week consultation period so that all of the station party can engage with the proposals and make suggestions. This approach and the written proposals were, unfortunately, not accepted by the GRA representation present.”
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It will hard to garner sympathy from the general public in this instance. While they may have a genuine case for not using the building, the bad news stories that have filled the news for the last 18 months of whistleblowers, fake breath tests and noirin will have left a bitter taste in a lot of people’s mouths.
@Tom Thumb: well done for not condemning people working in buildings that are not issued with fire safety certificate. Would you work in such a place?
@Tom Thumb: irrelevant. Totally irrelevant to this matter
@Tom Thumb: ye sure health safety. Feck that. They are only guards
@Tom Thumb: They are not looking for sympathy , a safe place of work will fit the bill with no overcrowding, working toilets, blocked fire exits eliminated , no rodents etc, hardly asking much really, care to work in such an environment yourself?
@Tom Thumb: Can’t see how that is the case. The vast majority of Gardaí are decent, hardworking individuals trying to do a very difficult job while grossly under-resourced. Their job is challenging enough without having to put up with such things as poor toilet facilities etc.
It’s quite ironic that Garda are worried about ” health and safety” issues. Are they worried that somebody may break into the station and attack and rob them like happens all over the country to elderly people through lack of police protection.And when you ring the station you are informed that there’s no car available.Lack of resources is the usual refrain and yet I’m regularly stopped at checkpoints which are manned by 7 garda,3 armed to check road tax. The purpose of the garda is to prevent crime by being visible in communities and not sitting around comfortable station devising ways to exaggerate their crime prevention statistics.
@Denis Mc Kenna: two independent surveyors said the Sligo garda station was unsafe and unfit for work. It was considered dangerous. Should they just ignore that and go to work??
@Michael Geraghty: Work??
@Denis Mc Kenna: Good man Denis your views are very balanced on this. You come across very well here.
@Denis Mc Kenna: checkpoints on main roads is a deterrent. Like you suggested, visible amongst the community. Believe it or not those people going around the country robbing houses use our main roads. Checkpoints are not always about road tax. Just a reason to stop a car and gather the driver/passengers reaction.
A housing catastrophe.
A third world health system.
A stone age public transport system.
Now the gardai.
Great little Republic of opportunity (for friends of FG all the same. )
Watch now Garda hq will make sure these Garda are smeared. Pity hq wouldn’t be forcibly removed.
@6ljJQRRU: most of the HQ personnel came up through the ranks so they can’t be that far removed.
@John Campbell: the ones that come up through the ranks to the top are usually unsuitable when it comes to actual police work, they are more interested in being in command of a desk, how soon they conveniently forget what its like to be at the sharp end. Just look at the dross that have been at the top recently!
Should not have to work in such poor and primitive conditions,it seems the only way to get your message across to this Government is to take drastic and dramatic action..
When the Gardai used to live in Garda Stations in rural Ireland with married quarters attached the standard was so low e.g. reeking with damp, no central heating,that most of them moved out at the first opportunity and built their own houses. That was a time when a Garda with a family could actually afford to pay a mortgage from one wage.
About 30 years too late the Government decided to build some new Garda Stations with a separate house for the family. By this time the Gardai had given up waiting and most already had their own houses. What happened then ,they sold off the new houses for half nothing.
You could not make it up.
Great to see them getting out of the station a bit.
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