Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I cannot comment on the exact area of Ballynoe but what Deputy Quaide has described sounds exactly like a prime property for the town and village renewal scheme or the RRDF. For instance, in Drumshanbo in County Leitrim I visited a former Garda station that has been acquired and is being developed into a fantastic facility. Throughout Leitrim on a recent visit I saw former State properties that have been developed by groups such as that mentioned by Deputy Quaide, working in conjunction with the local authority.

The first port of call for that group should be Cork County Council, so they can work together. It is exactly the type of scheme we want to see. When the community group works with the local authority they can define the ask and what the new building will look like. It is very important that in developing a project such as this there is a relatively good business plan in place, or, for want of a better word, a development plan, so people are very certain of what will be there and that the building will be sustainable. There are dereliction officers in every local authority who are able to assist with the programme. Through the RRDF and the town and village renewal scheme we have funded old Garda stations, old FCA buildings, old schools and old railway stations that are being refurbished into exactly the type of hub Deputy Quaide has referred to.

See this speech in context