Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

There is currently no funding. I could take the Deputy around the country and point out where we need new Garda stations but the funding is not there. We need planning for the process and I will not pretend that the money for it exists, although I wish it did. I wish we had the sort of capital allocations that existed in years gone by as I share the Deputy's view that if we were able to fund projects of this nature, it would contribute to employment. We are dependent on funding from the EU and IMF and we are required to reduce expenditure across a broad range of areas. Unfortunately, I cannot produce by magic money that does not exist.

I assure Deputies that there are security arrangements for Kickham Barracks and there is no possibility of a repeat of some of the events which took place in Kildare. Frankly, the previous Government did not do what was necessary to properly secure that property. It was temporarily made available to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform of the previous Government and when it ceased using it, the barracks was not adequately secured. We took immediate steps to secure all four vacated barracks and did what was necessary to avoid the problems quite properly pointed out by Deputy McGrath as occurring in Kildare. That is the interest not simply of the State in reserving its assets but also the local communities. I hope that within a reasonable period, the barracks in Cavan and Clonmel will change ownership and there will be developments of benefit to the local community.

I am concerned there is not the same level of interest yet in Mullingar. I hope in what we are doing we will stimulate that interest.

In the intervening period, we will ensure the barracks are properly secured as assets to the State and I will do what I can as Minister for Justice and Equality, in consultation with my colleague in the Office of Public Works, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to push forward where it is possible the construction of new Garda stations. This is an issue Deputy Tom Hayes has raised with me on a regular basis and I am fully aware of the local position. He has expressed concern about developments in Clonmel and has directly engaged with some of the groups that have visited the barracks in Clonmel with a view to acquiring portions of the barracks for projects that would be of benefit to the local community.

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