LAST UPDATE | 10 Mar 2023

A NEW GARDA station has opened today on O’Connell Street as part of an effort to increase the presence of gardaí in Dublin city centre.

The station will operate as a base both for policing activities and for partnerships with local stakeholders, including the the North East Inner City (NEIC) and the Local Community Safety Partnership, and a service for tourists who are victims of crime.

The station was opened by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris along with Minister for Justice Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the station would “provide a high visibility garda presence in this busy city centre area”.

Speaking to reporters at the opening, the Taoiseach said it would help to provide “all for all those who live here, a safer and stronger community, and also to make this a safer place for the many people from Dublin and overseas who visit O’Connell Street to do business, to go to the shops and to socialise”.

“[It's] really a very positive day, I think, in that regard for Dublin city centre and for O’Connell Street and very much part of our plans as well to make this street a much better place in the years to come.”

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris added that “the opening of the O’Connell Street Garda station is one of a number of measures that An Garda Síochána has taken to re-assure all those that live, work or visit in and around the main street of our capital city that your local gardaí are here to keep you safe”.

“This new facility will further strengthen our capabilities as an effective and efficient police service dedicated to guarding the peace and upholding the rule of law.”

The new station, which is part of the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central Garda Division, is located at 13A O’Connell Street. It will be staffed by one sergeant and four gardaí will be open from 8am to 2am.

Renovation by the Office of Public Works on the new station began in October.

The building has a public reception with interview rooms for members of the public to report crime or seek assistance. It contains no prisoner cells, with plans for any arrested persons to be transported to the District Headquarters at Store Street Garda Station.

The Irish Tourism Assistance Service (ITAS) will have a permanent office in the station for assisting tourists who are subjected to crimes.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, Minister Paschal Donohoe said: “I believe Dublin is the best city in the world. I’m very lucky to live in the heart of it and very privileged to represent Dublin Central.”

“I always do like to make the case for what is so great about our city and there are many things that are great about our city. But yes, if you look at where we are in streets like O’Connell Street and Henry Street, it’s clearly not where we would want it to be,” he said.

“We clearly do have difficulty with antisocial behaviour, particularly in the evenings during the week and at points on the weekend.

“It is why we have ambitious plans to recruit more gardaí for this year – over 1,000 gardaí, over 400 additional staff to support those gardaí, but we need to do better in the city centre, which is why I think it is an important moment, in a city that I love and I love living in, that I’m proud to represent, that we’re opening up a new garda station in the heart of it.”

Donohoe also told reporters the station would provide an important service next weekend during St Patrick’s Day celebrations, one of the busiest weekends of the year in the city centre.