Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1940 > Committee of Public Accounts > Interim and Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1939 - 1940

APPENDIX V.

SALE OF PREMISES AT LAURENCETOWN, CO. GALWAY, PURCHASED FOR USE AS A GÁRDA SÍOCHÁNA BARRACK.

On the 17th February, 1932, the Board contracted to purchase the ex-R.I.C. Barrack at Laurencetown for £500. Before doing so, they had received confirmation from the Department of Justice that a barrack would be required permanently at Laurencetown, and the Board’s local assistant architect had reported that the ex-R.I.C. Barrack was most suitably situated in the village for police purposes and was structurally sound, and that the price of £500 was reasonable, in which opinion the Chief Valuer concurred.

On the 14th April, 1932, the Department of Justice decided to discontinue a Station at Laurencetown, but as the Board were then under contract to buy the ex-R.I.C. Barrack the investigation of the vendor’s title was allowed to proceed.

On the 15th August, 1932, the Department of Justice decided to re-open a Station at Laurencetown. The temporary premises had then been surrendered, and the investigation of the vendor’s title of the ex-R.I.C. Barrack was still in progress and was not completed until 16th December, 1932. This latter building required adaptations, to render it suitable for use as a barrack, but before inviting tenders for the work the Board again communicated with the Department of Justice on the 24th February, 1933. It was not, however, until 10th January, 1934, that the Department of Justice gave their final decision to abandon Laurencetown as a centre for the Gárdaí.

On the 18th April, 1934, the Department of Finance authorised the sale of the ex-R.I.C. Barrack and the Board then adopted their usual procedure of inviting competitive offers by means of newspaper advertisements and notices posted on the site and at convenient places in the neighbourhood: later, a Galway firm of house and land agents was asked to put the property on their books.

The property when vacant was visited from time to time by the Board’s assistant architect as opportunity offered, and on his recommendation, steps were taken in June, 1933, and again in July, 1934, to fence the approaches and to secure the entrances and board up the window openings. A caretaker was not then appointed as an early disposal of the property was anticipated.

On 22nd October, 1935, as no offer had been received for the barrack, the attention of the County Galway Board of Health and Hospital and Dispensaries’ Committee was drawn to the property in case it might be required as a dispensary residence, but the Committee replied that they did not propose to make an offer.

In February, 1936, the Board’s local officer drew attention to the deterioration due to non-occupation and exposure to the weather. Further efforts were then made to secure offers, and a caretaker, non-resident, was later appointed. No offer was, however, received until June, 1937, when Doctor Conroy tendered £60, which was ultimately accepted in August, 1937, with the approval of the Department of Finance, as no better offer was forthcoming.

Where surplus property is on the Board’s hands for disposal it is the practice to protect it against damage by weather, trespassers, etc., as far as possible, and to appoint a caretaker if circumstances warrant such a course. The Gárdaí are usually asked to keep the property under supervision, but very often the property is many miles distant from a Gárda Barrack—as was the case at Laurencetown— and visits may thus be made only at irregular intervals. It is also part of the assistant architect’s duties to keep all buildings in the Board’s charge under his supervision. It will be appreciated, however, that his itineraries must be arranged with due regard to the importance of the works or buildings calling for attention throughout his district and that the opportunities afforded for visiting an unoccupied building would accordingly be such as would occur in the course of his ordinary duties, the expense of special visits being avoided except for special reasons.

A great deal of the unallocated property in the Board’s charge consists of ruins of ex-Coastguard Stations or barracks which are in a derelict condition and would not warrant expenditure on maintenance or inspections except so far as needed to protect against trespass and nuisances. It is very rarely that habitable buildings, such as Laurencetown ex-R.I.C. Barrack, come into their hands for disposal and cannot readily be sold when placed on the market, so that the circumstances which arose in that case would be of comparatively rare occurrence.

Accounting Officer.

Office of Public Works, Dublin.

31st July, 1940.