Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this important issue and I note his genuine concern regarding Clonmel town. As he stated, a new Garda barracks will be located in Kickham Barracks. The Deputy referred to the site and the people who served there. It is a formerly inaccessible military site which will be turned into a new civic, cultural and educational quarter as part of Clonmel 2030. The regeneration will have 1,000 people on site and will introduce a third level education campus into the town centre. This will offer new opportunities to businesses.

Obviously, we want to see people living in the town centre. That is hugely important. The Croí Cónaithe scheme does that. The URDF call 3 funding, which saw €6 million given to Tipperary County Council to acquire properties that were vacant and derelict, has resulted in 28 such properties being identified and acquired in Clonmel. There are things happening. As of the end of quarter 4 2024, 540 applications under the vacant property refurbishment grant had been received in respect of Tipperary. Of those, 412 have been approved and a total of 64 have been paid out, to a value of €3.35 million.

The Deputy referred to antisocial behaviour. I will raise that matter with my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, who will take it up with An Garda Síochána in Clonmel and Tipperary.

We want vibrant retail sectors in town centres and we value what they bring. The Deputy raised the specific case of Clonmel. The Government established the retail forum to allow issues of relevance to the sector to be discussed, with a view to identifying practical actions to support the sector and achieve sustainable growth. Just over two years ago, in 2023, the Tipperary town regeneration officer and Clonmel borough district brought together a number of people representing various interests in Clonmel to form a town team and produced a Clonmel town centre first action plan. That is something we can maybe follow up on as well.

The Deputy put across his points in a genuine fashion. I will raise the issue of antisocial behaviour with the Minister for Justice and bring the other matters he raised to the attention of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy James Browne.

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