Results 3,261-3,280 of 10,778 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: It represents 99 buildings. Of those, 36 are Garda stations. They represent 36 of the 139 that would have been in the original number that had been closed as part of the consolidation of Garda stations. The number has dropped considerably. We have a plan for all of them in terms of the number of properties that are unoccupied. In other words, we are working through them. By the end of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Some properties may have come on to the list but I can tell the Deputy that at the moment-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: In total, we have 31 sites and 68 buildings.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: There are 99 properties, of which 31 are sites and 68 are buildings. So the number of buildings has dropped.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: For the benefit of the committee, I can say that 36 are former Garda stations, eight are other former Garda stations that predate the closures that are historic, two are former Garda residences, eight are Coast Guard properties, two are former customs properties, one is a former Met Éireann property and there are several other properties. Of the sites, seven are decentralisation sites,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Military Road is not too small. It is important not to believe everything you read in the papers.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Military Road is on schedule, target and budget. It will be opened and we will vacate Harcourt Square-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Yes. The new premises is being built to the specification of An Garda Síochána. It is not too small. It is built as per the security specification laid out to the OPW. We do not lay down the specification. It is laid down to us so we agreed it with An Garda Síochána. Gardaí will be in well before the time by which we need to vacate Harcourt Square. The...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: The date is 31 December.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: We do not anticipate delays in terms of vacating Harcourt Square. However, we always have contingencies, which is only right because it is our national police force.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am unable to discuss them here.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Military Road is being designed for 880-odd gardaí so it is a massive undertaking. The movement of gardaí into will start in October. We must give Harcourt Square back to the property owner by 31 December and we are on track to do that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not have that detail in front of me.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Within reason, we can provide whatever detail we have available to us.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: I understand that there is a lot of interest in the Galway scheme. I was glad to get the perspective of the engineers from the city council, our own people on the ground and some local people. Many people have many different perspectives about what should or, more importantly, should not happen. You will always hear about what should not happen. We know it is a very vulnerable part of the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Anecdotally, Senator Denis O'Donovan, from west Cork, told me when we were in Bantry, which is where I am going tomorrow, that when he was growing up a massive Atlantic storm was likely to hit Bantry once every ten or 15 years but now the area is hit by four or five Atlantic storms every two or three years. We are playing Russian roulette with these communities unless we can get on and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: The number that I have is 883 gardaí. We can check and I can revert to the Deputy in writing.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Vice Chairman for his question. Every building is different and we have a mixture that are in our custody. Over the last two years, the same as every element of construction, work has progressed on a stop-go basis due to Covid and we had to meet social distancing requirements but luckily now that has all stopped. Yes, is the short answer. We have our own limitations. We would...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: We do.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Patrick O'Donovan: Absolutely, we do. Private owners of listed properties have an obligation to ensure that they look after them to a given standard. There is an obligation on us to look after them to a standard. We receive properties into our possession on occasion. I mentioned in my speech Annes Grove in County Cork. I was there during lockdown. Its story is one of lockdown, really. It will be open...