Clonmel Garda station decoupling
Mattie McGrath sought progress on a new Garda station for Clonmel and objected to its being tied to a PPP bundle. The Minister confirmed Clonmel and Macroom were being decoupled and would proceed as Exchequer-funded builds.
I am glad the Minister for Justice is present. Clonmel has been waiting 64 years for a new Garda station. Superintendent Ruane and his team there, and the public, need a fit-for-purpose building, which they do not have. There have been statements today by a backbencher that we have decoupled the situation regarding the Children Court building from the two Garda stations involved in the public-private partnership, PPP. I hope that has happened and I have asked for it to happen. This should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. We have planning, we have the site and we need this to proceed. I notice that in the Minister's statement, he said it can proceed quicker. I want to know when we are going to have the Garda station, when we will have the funds to go to tender for a PPP for Clonmel Garda station and how soon it will be built and delivered.
Comment on this
It is a great day for Clonmel. I can confirm, and I have confirmed by way of a statement, that we have made the decision to decouple both Clonmel and Macroom Garda stations from the PPP bundle. This means they will both be able to go direct to Exchequer-funded build and I expect Clonmel Garda station to go to construction next year.