Floor cracks lead to closure of Athlone Garda Station cells

Just five years after a €9 million refurbishment of Athlone Garda Station was officially opened, two of the four custody cells in the station have been deemed unfit for use due to structural defects.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), which has responsibility for the Barrack Street premises, confirmed to the Westmeath Independent that "specialist" works will be required to rectify the issue, and that it cannot say at this stage what the repairs are likely to cost or how long they will take.

It's the second time in recent years that significant remedial works have been required at the station, with an estimated €200,000 spent on the roof of the building last year following a number of leaks being reported.

The fact that half of the custody cells in the station were not currently available for use was raised during last Wednesday's sitting of Athlone Garda Station.

When contacted by the Westmeath Independent, a Garda spokesperson said the two cells had been closed after "an issue was identified" in relation to them on Friday, October 16.

"The affected cells have been closed pending remedial works by the OPW. The other two cells remain in operation," said the Garda spokesperson.

"A full and comprehensive policing service continues to be delivered from Athlone Garda Station."

A spokesperson for the OPW said it had been contacted by An Garda Siochána on October 16 with an report of "cracking to the floor finish in two of the four cells" at the local station.

"The OPW subsequently carried out a site inspection to establish the cause of the defect, and have been engaging specialist sub-contractors to formulate a remediation plan to make the necessary repairs," the OPW representative said.

"An Garda Siochána made the decision to close the two cells following their reporting of the defect. The OPW was not involved in this decision."

The OPW spokesperson went on to say that it was currently in the process of "preparing a remediation plan for this specialist work" and that it was "not currently in a position to provide a cost estimate" for the project.

"Our intention is to agree the corrective work and a timeline for same (this) week. Works will commence subject to the availability of the specialist sub-contractor, and are being treated as a high priority."

In response to a question from this newspaper, the OPW spokesperson said the repairs to the two cells were the only remedial works currently being planned at Athlone Garda Station.

The refurbished Athlone Garda Station was officially opened by then-Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, and then-Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, in July 2022.

The revamp of the station's facilities began in 2019, and following delays brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the works were completed in early 2022.

In a statement at the time of the refubished station's opening, An Garda Siochána said that, with its "new facilities and its unique, fit-for-purpose design," Athlone Garda Station represented "the future of community-based policing in Ireland".