Gardaí offer meeting with Mayor to discuss vacant garda stations

Calls continue to have vacant garda barracks in rural Waterford handed over the Council for repurposing.

There are now five vacant barracks in Waterford’s Comeragh district.

These include Kill, Kilmeaden, Lemybrien, Rathgormack and Ballymacarbry.

Councillors in Waterford have directed sharp criticism at the Office of Public Works (OPW) for their delays in handing over the buildings to the council to be repurposed, possibly for housing.

The OPW have previously asserted that the buildings are still listed as operational Garda stations and therefore cannot be repurposed.

Just weeks ago, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, announced the transfer of lands at a garda station in Westmeath to the local authority.

Councillors in Waterford are asking why vacant barracks in Waterford have not been similarly dealt with.

Cllr Liam Brazil has been vocal on the issue for some time.

Brazil, who became Mayor of Waterford City and County earlier this month, said he has met with Moran in Dublin.

“I spoke to Boxer in Dublin last week, and he didn’t seem to think there was any information on his desk about Waterford” Cllr Brazil said.

In response, Waterford Council Director of Housing, Mr Seamus De Faoite, said that he has spoken to Waterford’s Chief Superintendent.

The Chief Superintendent said he is willing to sit down with Mayor Brazil to explain the process further.

(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)