Mattie McGrath: Urges Unbundling of Clonmel Garda Station Project
Mattie McGrath criticised the bundling of the Clonmel Garda station project with a new children's court building and urged that the Garda station be removed from the package and built separately. He said the existing Clonmel facility is not fit for purpose, highlighted an available army barracks site with planning permission and design, and pressed ministers to tender the project next year.
Unbundling demand
McGrath argued the Clonmel Garda station has been inappropriately bundled by the Department of Justice with other projects, including at times Sligo and McCroom, and now with a children's court building. He described the court service building and a Garda station as "two different animals all together" and warned that the bundling creates a "tricky loop" that only delays delivery.
Condition and site readiness
He said the current Clonmel station is "just not fit for purpose" and described the conditions as "simply appalling," noting that people who have seen the site would agree. McGrath pointed out an available site - an army barracks - where investment, planning permission and design are already in place, arguing that all that remains is to build the station.
Discussions with ministers
McGrath recalled having "a number of discussions with Minister McEntee about this before she went on maternity leave" and said he is determined to continue engagement with the Minister for Justice and the incoming Minister for public expenditure. He pressed for action to get overdue Garda station projects to tender next year.
Other projects and next steps
He listed Clonmel among several overdue Garda station projects, mentioning another in Leish and others around the country. McGrath committed to working with ministers to move those projects to tender in the coming year, framing prompt tendering as the objective to end delays.
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The Garrity Corner did a great job to do, and I salute, support that, we must all support in the Garrity Corner, but the contingent condition of Clonmel Garrity Station, and it's been raised in this house for the last 40 years, if not a lot more, it's just not fit for purpose, and you believe playing games in the Department of Justice, it was bundled with a group of two other stations, Sligo at one stage and McCroom, and now you have decided in your wisdom to bundle it in with a new children's court building, they're two different animals all together, that's contractors out there and consultants that do gather stations, and of course service building is way different in aesthetics, but also in functioning buildings, so would you get this out of this bundle, and just get the gather station built, we have a site, that is an army barracks, that is a site, and been invested in now, thankfully, we should never have lost the army, but we also have planning permission and design, all we need is to get the building done, because the conditions are simply appalling, you've been there, you've seen it, and it should never have been bundled with the court service building, that's only a tricky loop, to delay further. I have had a number of discussions with Minister McEntee about this before she went on maternity leave, and there are a number of Garda station projects that are overdue, and we really need to get on with it. Clannmel is one, there's another one in Leish, and a few others in different parts of the country, and you may well be right, part of the problem is that it got bundled with other projects that are not similar, but I am determined to work with the Minister for Justice for Justice and the incoming Minister for public expenditure to get those projects to tender next year, and that's definitely the objective.
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