Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Chuala mé an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, an Teachta James O'Connor, cúpla lá ó shin. I heard the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach talking about Youghal town centre. All the towns are struggling, but Clonmel has been under siege. The then CEO, Joe McGrath from Nenagh, took over when the county was amalgamated. All the directorships of roads, planning and finance went to Nenagh, and all the money collected in Clonmel from the parking goes straight to Nenagh. You could eat your dinner off the streets in Nenagh town centre. The investment there has been unparalleled. I do not begrudge Nenagh, but we want fair play. Fair play is fine play with me, but Clonmel has been blackguarded, downgraded and diminished while this administration with the power base in Nenagh was there. It is shocking. Now Mr. McGrath has gone into retirement. I wish him well, but what happened was not right. We have only one resident living in the main street in Clonmel now. Her name is Mary O'Gorman, cara mór liomsa. Only one person living on the main thoroughfare - that has to be changed.

The Minister of State mentioned some schemes and I welcome them. He also mentioned Kickham Barracks. I welcome the fact we may be getting a Garda station soon but we have no gardaí to put into it. We have been looking for it for 60 years. The Minister of State did not mention why the barracks was empty and inaccessible. It was a wonderful place and the pride of the men and women of Clonmel and surrounding areas who served their country, town and communities. Phil Hogan and Fine Gael, again, abolished it. We badly need something in there but that will not help the town centre.

The town centre is not working. The town team was mentioned. I has never knocked on my door. I do not even know who is on it but I wish them well. There is a complete disconnect. Most business people and community organisations do not know who sits on it either.

We want a task force, not a token town team that nobody knows. We want serious Government investment to stop the rot in Clonmel. We want URDF funding but we do not want 86 parking spaces removed from the centre of the town. That will kill the town completely. We might as well put gates up at both ends of it.

I want to talk up the proud people of Clonmel, a proud and noble town. I hate to come in here and say this today but it has gone on for far too long. Clonmel is on life support at the moment and it needs serious help and investment. I ask the Minister of State to come down to Clonmel and walk the town with Deputies Murphy and Healy and me and see what is going on and the dereliction, the lack of investment and, above all, the drug problems and antisocial behaviour.

See this speech in context