THE Minister for Justice has signed a £6.7 million contract for an extension to the State's busiest Garda station.
The extension, to Store Street station in north inner Dublin, will make it the largest Garda divisional headquarters. The station, which was built in the 1870s, suffers from overcrowding and a shortage of facilities.
Store Street, which covers the deprived inner city areas of Sherriff Street and Summerhill, has some of the highest crime levels in the State. The station is busy around the clock, Mrs Owen said at yesterday's signing ceremony.
The extension, due to be completed in two years, will have modern amenities including a suite where victims of sexual assault or abuse will have access to a bathroom, kitchenette and lounge. The extension is being built on the former Kylemore Bakery site which was bought by the State and demolished four years ago.
Speaking after the ceremony yesterday, Mrs Owen defended the Government's position on the bail referendum from criticisms that it would lead to prison overcrowding and that judges would ignore the new rules.
She said judges would take notice of the "views of the people and change to the Constitution".
If bail reform led to a 10 per cent reduction in crimes committed by offenders on bail, Mrs Owen said, based on last year's statistics which recorded 5,000 such offences, there would be 500 fewer crimes committed the following year. She said the number of people remanded in custody would not increase sharply.