Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Once upon a time, in its heyday, this site housed 330 men. I always said that when the temporary protection applicants moved in there, we should have done up the old buildings and housed them there. We should have utilised the buildings, rather than putting modular units in the square. That did not happen, unfortunately. It did not happen because we did not have a plan in place, and because we were reacting to the development of this site.

We need a concrete plan going forward so we can know exactly how this site will be developed and how it will be protected from historic and cultural perspectives. We have ideas for a museum for Mullingar. There are youth clubs working there. There are many community groups there. For example, the Order of Malta is working there, but it cannot even invest in its building because it does not know what the long-term plan is for this site.

If the Minister of State can take anything back from what I am saying today, I ask him to reconvene the public consultation forum and make sure we have a concrete plan in place in the not-too-distant future so we can ensure this vital site reaches its full potential.

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