Fire station relocation proposal for Galway Airport

Galway Airport at Carnmore is to be considered as the permanent location for the Galway Fire and Rescue Service from its current location at Father Griffin Road.

Access to the motorway and ample space on the 115-acre site at Carnmore are among the reasons why the old airport should be considered for move.

While it is set to become an item for discussion at a meeting of Galway County Council this month, the City Council are said to be the lead agency in progressing the move.

It will form part of a discussion on the Council’s three-year capital programme for the Galway Fire and Rescue Service for which a budget of over €7 million would be required to embark on such a move.

There is a proposal that the headquarters of the Galway Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) be located at the Galway Airport site where a mechanic’s workshop would also be provided.

A motion has been tabled with Galway County Council by Cllr Liam Carroll which will be up for discussion at the local authority’s meeting on Monday week.

There is also a proposal that a fire service mechanic’s workshop, which does not form part of the existing services, be provided under the Councils’ Safety Management System to maintain the current fleet of around 60 vehicles.

Cllr Carroll explained that the existing fire service base at Fr Griffin Road was built back in 1956 and it is no longer suitable for a modern firefighting service.

“The full-time and cohort of retained firefighters are required to operate out of extremely cramped and physically aged conditions.

“This is an issue that was discussed as far back as 2012 when the prospect of the Fr Griffin Road site was being discussed in terms of being sold off to fund a new facility,” Cllr Carroll added.

He said that the then Director of Emergency Services for Galway County Council described the existing location as being too small and a move to a larger site was required. It was hoped that a site for a new €7 million state-of-the-art would have been identified at the time but this never materialised.