Results 2,421-2,440 of 10,569 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: All of the matters about Garda accommodation and needs will be determined by the Accounting Officer, the Garda Commissioner, in his multi-annual capital programme. We carry out the works for him. It is in our interest and everybody's interest that the maximum amount of money is apportioned for physical infrastructure to the Garda because we have an ambitious plan across the country-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Yes. It is a former DSP building.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Block J is in the Phoenix Park, which is already part of Garda headquarters, and it requires works to be carried. Some work was also carried out at 52 St. Stephen's Green, a building vacated by the OPW almost 18 months ago.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not have the details in front of me because we do not determine what the Gardaí does within its offices. We can get a more detailed answer, through the Garda, for the Deputy.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I need to correct one small thing. This is not a Garda headquarters. Military Road is a supporting office accommodation for An Garda Síochána. Further accommodation will be freed up in Garda headquarters now that the forensic science laboratory has moved to a new location. The former OPW building, 52 St. Stephen's Green, is temporary. The other accommodation, including that...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will appreciate that these are operational issues for the Garda. The specific needs and asks of gardaí, in respect of refurbishment or additional accommodation, routinely come to us in the OPW and we often have to get either temporary or permanent accommodation for them. This depends on whether there are new units in the Garda or there are elements of the organisation that...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: All over the country-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: No, because we are working through-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is important to point out that we delivered Phoenix House, at the entrance to Parkgate Street, in the past two years. We delivered Military Road. We are in the process of the works for the forensic state laboratory, which is a hugely important infrastructure to be handed over to the State. We will also modify the building that it vacates. I want to make it very clear to the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Not that I am aware of. For the benefit of the committee, two national Garda bureaus are currently accommodated at Clyde House. Heads of terms have been agreed with the landlord and the Chief State Solicitor's office. A lease was executed in 2022 and the fit out commenced in September 2022. Substantial work is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2023.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The short answer is "Yes, we do". A number of former Garda stations across the country have been offered to local authorities on more than one occasion and have been regrettably declined. Some of these buildings might require works, significant or insignificant, depending on the location and the scale. Some of them are in relatively good condition and others need to have their title...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: That audit has been done. I contest that all of them would have another use. Depending on the circumstances, some would be more expensive than others. In a situation where we need houses to accommodate people, it is unforgivable that a State body cannot get traction from local authorities to take them over. We do not want to auction properties that are quite suitable. There is every...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not disagree. Those sentiments are my sentiments. It has been very frustrating for us that all over the country the route for these properties has been either through local community groups or public auction. As I said, there is a lack of engagement by some local authorities. We will make available to the committee a spreadsheet of everything that has been done in the last two years,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: To take that last point first, unfortunately in Ireland we now have our own migrants who have been displaced from their houses thanks to the advent of climate change and flooding. These are people living in County Roscommon in Lough Funshinagh. They have not had the scheme delivered that we all thought would be delivered and in some cases they had to move out of their houses and the houses...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy is right about Springfield. This was done well ahead of schedule and it is a very important piece of infrastructure that will protect a lot of houses down there. Cloonlara was one of those places that was synonymous with the terrible winter floods every year. The scheme is more or less complete. We hope to hand it over to Clare County Council early in the spring, as we did with...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: These people think that it is worth noting that so and so "waz here". Nobody wants to know that they were and would prefer if they were not there in the first place. We want to have these places open and available to people as these are the public's assets. All of our keyholders are local people around the country. For a really small amount of remuneration they do a huge public service in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: Before Christmas I made a similar visit to the Netherlands with regard to flooding and the Office of Public Works. I would put it down to one word in the Netherlands, and it will become the same word here, "survival". No-one objects to the work that the Dutch authorities do through the Rijkswaterstaat. No one objects to the maintenance programme, the rehabilitation of sand dunes or...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is a fundamental question for our European colleagues around what it is that we are trying to protect. Notwithstanding the importance of making sure that there is proper biodiversity, habitats and heritage designation, what is it that we want? In the face of huge catastrophe for the world, all the great and the good went, as part of COP27, to the middle of the desert and spent a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: We have very much engaged with Kilkenny County Council, as the Chairman will know. Graiguenamanagh is the first one and, hopefully, there will be planning in August 2023 and completion in 2027. Ballyhale is at planning and there are compulsory purchase order, CPO, issues with Kilkenny County Council. The remainder of the schemes at Freshford, Pilltown, Inistioge and Thomastown are in the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (22 Feb 2023)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Chairman is right about the extensive damage because 30 properties and two businesses were flooded, and there was a lot of land and infrastructural damage. The OPW is in discussions with Kilkenny County Council to see if there is some way to move the scheme forward. Kilkenny County Council is due to deliver its report to the Office of Public Works and we expect that shortly.