Garda internet farce at Clonark

The farcical situation that Gardai in the South Roscommon district headquarters at Clonark are required to undertake a 50-mile return trip to Roscommon town to formally enter details of a criminal investigation into the force's computer system exposes the serious lack of planning within our civil service. The station at Clonark was refurbished at a cost of €500,000 as it was felt the South Roscommon region required its own district station separate from the divisional headquarters in Roscommon town. And now after a refurbishment and extension project of the formerly disused station lasting over two and a half years, it transpires Gardai have to still drive to Roscommon to use the Garda Pulse system due to the lack of proper internet access at Clonark. The idea of a new district station at Clonark came about as part of the restructuring of garda boundaries at the beginning of 2009. The new boundaries brought Roscommon and Longford into one division, with responsibility for much of the south of Roscommon and Ballinasloe coming under the bailiwick of Roscommon gardai. Previously, South Roscommon area was policed from either Athlone or Ballinasloe. Due to the distance of the garda headquarters in Roscommon to many parts of South Roscommon, it was felt a new barracks was necessary to house extra officers to cover the South Roscommon region. The disused barracks in Clonark was chosen. Whilst refurbishment work was ongoing, Gardai policed the South Roscommon region on a temporary basis from Knockcroghery for over two years. Now, it has been revealed that secure fast broadband access was not provided to the district headquarters during the refurbishment. Clonark is one of some 40% of Garda stations around the country without internet access. To make matters worse, it transpires that a fibre optic broadband service is laid within four metres of the station, although a connection cost to this network would still be expensive.