Work on long-awaited new County Limerick garda station to commence

NEWCASTLE West Garda Station will relocate to a temporary administrative building on Churchtown Road on August 4.

This relocation will facilitate the planned construction of a new purpose design built garda station to serve the people of Newcastle West Garda District. The current building has been deemed unfit from a health and safety perspective - not only to gardaí, but to the public.

Superintendent Aileen Magner said: "I want to reassure you all that during this planed rebuild, in no way whatsoever will the operational side of policing be effected. It is business as usual and we will maintain our high visibility in Newcastle West and its environs."

This temporary building will be an administrative building that can allow uniform gardaí continue to provide a high level of service to the public of Newcastle West and its environs. 

Local gardaí will continue to maintain a 24 hour service to the public, but the public counter hours will be from 7.30am – 9pm, seven days a week.

Between the hours 9pm to 7.30am public phones will be diverted to the control room in Henry Street Garda Station.
 
The temporary building will not facilitate prisoners/detentions so they will be brought to Henry Street, Rathkeale and Bruff Garda Stations for the duration.

Supt Magner and the district administration staff will remain in Askeaton Garda Station. The district detective unit and drugs unit will remain in Rathkeale and the roads policing unit will continue to be based in Abbeyfeale.

Once construction is completed, Newcastle West will become the headquarters for the County Community Engagement Functional Area once the new Garda Operating Model is rolled out and will resume public counter operations on a 24 hour basis. 

Supt Magner said: "This is a positive step towards having a new, purpose built station that will become our Community Engagement Headquarters for Limerick County. With the station having to reduce its opening hours to the public during construction, we will be able to put extra gardaí out on patrol."

The new station build will commence on the site of the old garda station with a start date and construction timeframe to be confirmed by the OPW.