Laois Offaly Garda HQ redevelopment likely to go over budget
The cost of Laois Offaly’s new Gardai Divisional Headquarters in Portlaoise is likely to go over budget due to inflation, a meeting of Laois Joint Policing has heard.
Laois Offaly Garda Chief Superintendent John Scanlan said “there was a start made on the enabling works for the redevelopment of Portlaoise Garda Station.” He described the work as the beginning of the beginning rather than the end of the beginning, but added that it was welcome.
The work consists of taking down some internal structures that aren’t essential to the integrity of the structure and repointing walls.
Welcoming the project, Minister of State Sean Fleming said: “It is a divisional headquarters, gone to tender. That is very important.”
He told the latest meeting of the Laois Joint Policing Committee that the government has given commitments on construction costs. “I want to make it clear that for this contract and other major contracts, the government has agreed that if there is inflation during the construction period of any project…the government will cover 70% of the inflationionary costs during the period of the contract.”
He explained that it was important “so the contractor knows that when he gives a price, he has fair comfort that if there is inflation most of it will be covered by the government in addition to the original tender price.”
Chief Supt Scanlan said “I am glad to hear that because I suspect the cost of Portlaoise station might be a little bit inflationarily challenged.”
Meanwhile, Minister Fleming explained that the army will have a base at Portlaoise Prison as part of the redevelopment project. He noted Portlaoise is “a town with the only high security prison in the country, Portlaoise Prison, with 24 hour army surveillance on the roof.”
“The army are based in the property beside the garda station and I think a byproduct of this will be that that army surveillance unit and soldiers that come from the Curragh for their duty up there on a 24/7 basis will now have a base up at the prison which will probably be better, closer to the prison and free up space here,” said Minister Fleming.
He said “I understand both of them are the one contract” and the works would be carried out together.