Press Release: Justice 1 May 2007

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Green Party pledges to upgrade Garda Stations around the country

 The Green Party has pledged to prioritise the refurbishment and upgrading of Garda Stations around the country if elected to Government, following claims by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) that conditions in some Garda stations are 'deplorable'.

Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "I have been raising this issue with Michael McDowell for five years now, and I have seen few indications of progress during this time.

"In February 2006 I asked the Minister for an update on the refurbishment of the most dilapidated stations around the country and was told that the Office of Public Works was to spend €112 million in the period 2005 to the end of 2007 on a wide range of Garda projects including a major refurbishment of Finglas Garda Station. We are almost midway through 2007 and the Garda Representative Association is still saying that Finglas remains one of the worst stations in the country. Clearly, the Government has not honoured its commitments.

"Rank and file members of An Garda Síochána should expect to go to work in fully equipped stations and to have state of the art equipment to hand. The Green Party is fully committed to ensuring that this becomes a reality if in government in June."