Tipperary TD Michael Lowry is seeking an urgent update from both the Department of Justice and the Garda Commissioner about plans for a Centre of Excellence for Garda Training and Development proposed for Dromard, which is located less than 10km from the Garda College in Templemore. The site was originally purchased in 2006.
The Thurles based TD is reacting to recent suggestions from both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that Garda training should be offered in colleges and universities outside of the Garda College in Templemore. Deputy Lowry is labelling such proposals as being ‘Election sound-bytes’ and says Templemore can cope with extra recruits if necessary. The TD says plans for the delivery of the centre of excellence have been allowed to stall and that progressing the new centre is a priority for him.
The site at Dromard already has ‘Designs completed for the provision of training for Firearms Ranges, a Driving School, a Garda Dog Unit, a Garda Mounted United, a Garda Water Unit, a Tactical Unit and an Air Training Unit” according to Deputy Lowry. Other plans included the provision of accommodation, classrooms and Lecture Theatres and necessary administration space.
The TD is also concerned about any negative impact on Templemore town if the Garda College is downgraded in any way.
The College management has been at the centre of controversy in recent years as it emerged that revenue from the lands at Dromard owned by the Office of Public Works were collected by Garda College Management between 2009 and 2013 and not by the OPW as had been the case in 2007-2008 and since 2014. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission(GSOC) completed an independent public interest criminal investigation into irregularities relating to the handling of EU funds in the College in September 2023 with a file forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions at the time. The matter was referred to GSOC by then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan in June 2017 following the identification of financial irregularities during an internal Garda Audit, and their subsequent discussion during hearings of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee.
