Press release
New O’Connell Street Garda Station to officially open today
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Published on
Last updated on
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Minister for Justice Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe today attended the official opening of the new Garda station on O’Connell Street, Dublin following a full internal and external renovation undertaken by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
The station, which will open to members of the public from today, is located at 13A O’Connell Street, Dublin 1. The station will have a public office for members of the public to report crimes, and to provide advice and support to victims of crime.
The new station will ensure a high visibility policing presence in an area which has significant tourist and commercial footfall. The station will also serve as the parade location for Gardaí assigned to Operation Citizen, which is a Garda operation targeting anti-social behaviour and public order, with an emphasis on community and stakeholder engagement.
Speaking ahead of the opening today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:
"The government is focused on stronger, safer communities. The new O’Connell Street Garda Station will provide a high visibility Garda presence in this busy city centre area, and follows the opening of nearby Fitzgibbon Street Garda station.
"It will also enhance Operation Citizen, where Gardaí are reassuring the public, visitors and businesses that Dublin City Centre is a safe place to visit, socialise and do business through an enhanced police presence.
"This will be more than just a police station, as it will also host a permanent office for the Irish Tourism Assistance Service, helping tourists who are victims of crime with practical support such as linking in with embassies and financial services.”
Minister for Justice Simon Harris said:
"We are committed to building stronger, safer communities and An Garda Síochána has a long-established tradition of fostering strong relationships with the communities it serves. Community policing in an urban environment can be challenging, particularly in the city centre.
"I am confident that the new station on O’Connell street will be a valuable base for Gardaí stationed there to foster stronger relationships with the local community, including business owners. These relationships are essential to ensuring An Garda Síochána can deliver a professional, effective and responsive policing service.
"The Garda Commissioner and I share a determination to ensure that Dublin is a safe and attractive city to visit, to live, and to do business. The location of this new Garda station on Dublin’s main thoroughfare will increase the visibility of Gardaí in the city centre, and help to both deter crime and reassure communities.”
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said:
"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 has included Operation Citizen, which since its introduction in October 2021 has resulted in over 10,500 arrests and more than €6 million worth of drugs being taken off the streets of Dublin. Local Gardaí are also involved in a wide-range of inter-agency initiatives to reduce anti-social behaviour, and encourage people to visit and enjoy Dublin city centre.
"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.”
Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe said:
"I welcome the opening of this new permanent Garda station on O’Connell Street which is a tangible demonstration of this government’s commitment to investing in high visibility policing which is crucial to making sure that communities across our country feel safe and protected.
"This project also demonstrates the government’s focus on delivery of the vital infrastructure that our growing population needs. The government recently decided to sharpen the focus on delivery of capital projects even further in 2023, which involves changes for my department which is now known as the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. The opening of this new Garda station, here in the heart of my own constituency of Dublin Central speaks to the investment the government is providing to ensure that communities, businesses and those visiting our city feel safe and that there is cooperation and communication that will enable our great city to thrive."
The Department of Justice’s new Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) model is currently being piloted in Dublin’s North Inner City, Waterford and Longford. These Partnerships bring together residents, community representatives, business owners and relevant State agencies to identify issues negatively affecting community safety in a local area and to provide a forum to work together to prioritise and solve those issues.
The department has provided funding through the Community Safety Innovation Fund to establish a Community Safety Warden scheme which will employ community wardens to patrol Dublin’s north inner city to observe and report anti-social behaviour and any issues affecting community safety, as well as to promote a space for recreation in Wolfe Tone Square.
The Community Safety Wardens will also patrol the O’Connell Street area during weekends. The scheme will provide a visible presence that will act both as a deterrent to criminal and anti-social behaviour and provide reassurance to communities.
The O’Connell Street Station will serve the DMR North Central Garda Division.
As of the end of January 2023, there were 641 Garda members assigned to this Division. This represents an increase of over 8.5% since 2015 when there were 590 Garda members assigned.
These Gardaí are supported by 65 Garda staff which is more than 70% on the number assigned in 2015. This increases the availability of Gardaí to concentrate on frontline policing duties.
The DMR North Central Division also includes the Bridewell, Fitzgibbon Street and Store Street Districts. The new station will operate in tandem with these to support high visibility policing in the area.
Operation Citizen is a Garda Operation commenced in October 2021 with the aim of reassuring the public that Dublin City Centre is a safe place to visit, to socialise in and in which to conduct business. It delivers a high visibility police presence to the area and focuses on collaborative community and stakeholder engagement, as the positive use of the public area is not just a matter for An Garda Síochána.
Operation Citizen is also supported by a number of different operations currently ongoing in the Dublin City Centre area. These include Operation Saul, which aims to provide a safe environment for commuters travelling in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, and Operation Spire, which tackles on-street drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in the O'Connell Street area.