Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

I ask the Minister of State about one issue, which is the proposed new Garda station at Northern Cross. This was promised and announced in 2019, not by the previous Government but the one before that, of which the Minister of State was part. Indeed, he was the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works at the time. There has been no progress on this station in the last six years. I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for public expenditure on this matter in March. The response stated:

The Property Management function on the Office of Public Works are currently carrying out site evaluations. Once a preferred site is identified the Office of Public Works will attempt to acquire this site. Once this site acquisition process has been completed the OPW, in conjunction with An Garda Siochana, will be in a position to progress the project.

That is a baffling answer because it refers to a preferred site being identified. A preferred site was identified six years ago. This was announced six years ago. There were discussions with An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council about the location at Northern Cross, which is land owned by Dublin City Council. Announcements were made that the land owned by Dublin City Council would be transferred from the Office of Public Works. This all happened years ago. Why are we getting answers saying a site must be identified when there were announcements about this new Garda station and where it would go back in 2019 when Deputy Moran was the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW? When is this project going to progress? Six years on from the announcement of this new station, we are being told a site has not even been identified, let alone the land transferred. When will the OPW get this moving?