John Brady, Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, has strongly criticised what he describes as yet another empty re-announcement from Simon Harris regarding the long-delayed refurbishment of Greystones Garda Station. He is calling for immediate, concrete action to deliver proper facilities for Garda members and the people of Greystones.
Deputy Brady said:
“After years of being promised upgrades to Greystones Garda Station, all we have seen from Ministers, and from Simon Harris in particular, is a cycle of headline announcements, photo ops, vague commitments and shifting timelines. What we haven’t seen is the one thing the community actually needs is work beginning on the ground.
“It is absolutely shocking that a Garda station serving a rapidly growing and vibrant community like Greystones remains in such a disgraceful condition. For years now, Gardaí working in this station have had to operate without a female toilet, without appropriate accessibility for staff or the public, and without the basic facilities a modern police service should be able to rely on. It’s completely unacceptable in 2025.
“It is insulting to the Gardaí who dedicate themselves to serving this community, and it is insulting to the people of Greystones, who have listened to promise after promise without seeing a single brick laid.
“Before the last general election, Simon Harris issued a very confident statement claiming that refurbishment works would be completed in early 2025. It was presented as a done deal, a clear, time-bound commitment designed to reassure the public in the run-up to polling day. Yet here we are in December, and not only have work not begun, but we now find ourselves reading yet another Harris announcement making the same promises all over again.
“This time, there isn’t even a start date. The only time frame mentioned is somewhere within the 2026–2030 Justice Sector Capital Plan, effectively pushing the project out for up to another five years. That is simply not good enough. Communities can see through this. They know the difference between delivery and political spin.
“Some may call it progress that the station has appeared yet again in another capital plan, but we have been in this exact position before. A line in a government plan does not improve the conditions inside Greystones Garda Station. A press release does not deliver a female toilet. A photo op does not fix accessibility issues or provide the facilities Gardaí need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
“What we need now is urgent and practical action. We need the funding released immediately. We need work to begin without obstruction, without political games, and without being pushed out to the end of a multi-year plan. The people of Greystones deserve a clear, guaranteed timeline, not another political promise that will quietly slip backwards yet again.
“Communities are tired of announcements. They want delivery. They want to see the diggers onsite, the contractors hired, and the work actually happening.
“I will continue to press the government at every opportunity to stop the re-announcements and start the refurbishment. The Gardaí and the people of County Wicklow have waited long enough. They deserve action, not more talk.” ENDS