Press release
Minister McEntee attends official opening of Dublin Airport Garda Station
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee today attended the official opening of the new Garda station at Dublin Airport.
The station has 48 Garda members and also provides a new base for the Garda Armed Support Unit to ensure a high visibility presence at Dublin Airport.
The Minister welcomed the new station saying:
"I am delighted to be here today at the official opening of Dublin Airport Garda Station. The first Garda Station at Dublin Airport, which opened in 1987, was just a single room in the main airport Terminal.
"This new facility is much more in line with the standards we should expect at a busy international airport and I wish to commend Commissioner Harris and the Gardaí and officials who I know have worked very hard on the Dublin Airport Strategic Plan and the resulting station.
"As Minister for Justice, supporting the work of An Garda Síochána is a priority for my department and this year’s unprecedented budget in excess of €2 billion reflects that commitment. Visibility is key when it comes to effective policing and this new station will help maintain a higher Garda presence here at Dublin Airport."
The new Dublin Airport Garda Station is situated in the former Transaer building at Dublin Airport in the Garda Division of DMR North where it forms part of the ‘H’ District.
The station operates on a 24-hour basis with responsibilities including:
The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) also operates from the station and immigration detention facilities have been operational at the building from 1 March 2022. This allows for up to four passengers refused leave to land to be detained for up to 24 hours within the boundary of the airport, thereby enabling their return for outbound flights without delay. These detention facilities are used solely for immigration detainees.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dublin Airport was catering for up to 120,000 passengers on its busiest days. In 2019, a total of 32.9 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport.
In recognition of the importance of Dublin Airport as State Infrastructure, and in order to bring policing on a par with other major international airports, a Strategic Plan was developed to encompass this new Garda Station and a significantly increased Garda presence.
The Dublin Airport Strategic Plan (2019-2022) was agreed and implemented by the Garda Commissioner. This plan outlined the priorities and goals for An Garda Síochána at Dublin Airport including the optimum number of Gardaí required to police a major international airport. As a result of this Plan, there has been a significant increase in Garda numbers and other Garda resources such as I.T. equipment and patrol vehicles.
A new Strategic Plan for the years 2023-2025 is currently being devised.
Garda strengths at Dublin Airport Garda Station are as follows:
Uniform Strength:
Detective Unit:
Gardaí at Dublin Airport work closely with all principal response agencies in the Fingal area.