Limerick Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan has said a visit by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to Newcastle West Garda Station which he organised was a very successful event. The visit coincided with the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting which was taking place in Adare and was arranged by Patrick O’Donovan to show the Minister the conditions currently in Newcastle West Garda Station.
Patrick O’Donovan said “Since the Newcastle West and Askeaton Districts were merged I have been pressing the case to have work carried out on the Garda Station in Newcastle West. I raised the matter in the Dáil a number of months ago with Minister Fitzgerald and at the time she committed to visiting the Station when the opportunity arose. I was delighted when she agreed to the unannounced visit during our two day party meeting in Adare because she could see at first hand the situation facing the Gardai and civilian staff operating in Newcastle West. This station was originally built in the 1970’s for a much smaller number than are currently working from the Station and since it was constructed it has changed very little.”
Frances Fitzgerald met and spoke to members of the Gardai present in the station at the time of her visit and thanked them for the work they do. She received an overview on the size of the Newcastle West Garda District and the issues facing it from Superintendent Tom O’Connor and she was shown the facilities in the station. She said that the issue of the need for work in Newcastle West had been raised with her on several occasions by Patrick O’Donovan and she had also received a report on the condition of the station from Minister of State at the Office of Public Works Simon Harris TD who had also visited the station.
The Minister said she was committed to delivering improvements to Newcastle West. She paid tribute to all the members of An Garda Siochana serving in the area and thanked them, together with the civilian and administrative staff for the work that they do in the district. Patrick O’Donovan thanked the Minister for visiting and said he would be continuing to make representations for improvement works in a Newcastle West and hoped that the issue would be dealt with shortly.