Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

A site of about 2.25 acres was acquired in 2005 in Buncrana to facilitate the provision of a new local office and a decentralised office for the Department of Social and Family Affairs. As Senator Keaveney noted, there was an additional requirement in Buncrana for a new Garda district headquarters. The existing Garda station is inadequate to such an extent that the gardaí are moving to temporary accommodation in the short term pending the erection of the new station. With the acquisition of a small additional portion of 0.38 acres of adjoining land which was available for purchase, the combined site can facilitate construction of the three facilities, namely, the two facilities for the Department of Social and Family Affairs buildings and a Garda district headquarters.

Planning permission for the Department of Social and Family Affairs local and decentralised offices was obtained on 30 January 2007 and the Part 9 planning process for the Garda district headquarters was completed in May 2007. In deciding how best to design and procure these facilities, it was considered that designing and contracting the facilities as one single project was the most sensible way to proceed. It was considered that the best value for money, deriving in large part from economies of scale, would be achieved in this way. The design of the facilities is integrated, making best use of the site. It incorporates shared excavated basement car parking facilities for the two Department of Social and Family Affairs buildings.

Following an EU competition, seven contractors were shortlisted for the project. The tender competition for construction of all the elements proved very competitive with all seven contractors submitting tenders. Consideration of the tenders is under way. When building commences, the project is expected to take 21 months to complete.

The project comprises three elements, the first of which is the Department of Social and Family Affairs decentralised offices. This building will be a three-storey building which will accommodate 120 decentralised staff from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The Department provided a general brief of requirements based on the Government decision but has not as yet identified specific sections to be transferred.

The second element is the Department of Social and Family Affairs local office, the design of which will allow for a building over two floors. The local office is currently located in leased accommodation in Castle Avenue. This building will also include an area for the Department of Transport and the Marine driver test centre, which comprises an interview room, staff room, waiting area and staff and public toilet facilities. This facility will be for driver testing for motor vehicles only. The driver test centre for heavy goods vehicles, HGVs, will continue to operate from Letterkenny.

The third element is the Garda district headquarters, which will be a three storey building. The Garda station was previously located at St. Oran's Road. However, as this premises is wholly inadequate, the Garda Síochána is in the process of moving to temporary accommodation in Lisfannon industrial estate in the short term, pending the erection of the new station. To sum up, consideration of the seven tenders is under way.