Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me raise this motion, thank his staff for processing it and the Department for preparing a response. I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, for coming to the House to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government on the need for that Minister to confirm the approval of a loan to Roscommon County Council for the development of new civic offices in Roscommon town and to verify the date the original application was made for this loan, the amount sought and when the application was previously approved. Furthermore, I seek confirmation of when the approval of the loan was made by him as Minister, the amount sought, the terms and conditions and date sanctioned.

For some years, Roscommon County Council has been planning the redevelopment of its offices in Roscommon town, where it needs new centralised civic offices. The preparatory work has been going on some time.

As a former member of Roscommon County Council, I supported the processing of the loan by the previous Government. My colleague, Michael Finneran, who was a Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government at the time was extremely helpful in ensuring approval of Roscommon County Council's application for the loan in order that the work could be carried out. We relocated the fire service to Circular Road in Roscommon town after a site there was made available. We removed temporary prefabricated buildings which had been used by the former Western Health Board. As a result, the site is very compact.

The development of these offices to accommodate approximately 250 staff would result in the centralisation of the services of Roscommon County Council in Roscommon town. In the light of new developments in local government, it is important that we retain that type of facility in Roscommon town to service the county. Roscommon town has had council offices since the 1800s. Roscommon courthouse was the centre for the services and senior staff now have offices there. However, the courthouse needs to be refurbished to facilitate sittings of the District Court, the Circuit Court and the High Court in circuit. The children and family courts are also very important. All of these consultations are taking place in the foyer of the building, which is totally unsatisfactory. The Courts Service will have further additional responsibilities relating to the care of children if the children's rights referendum is passed on 10 November. It is important for proper facilities to be provided, as the existing services are not suitable. The provision of new offices for Roscommon County Council would allow the courthouse to be used exclusively for court services, as originally intended.

We are fortunate to have the headquarters of the Roscommon-Longford division of the Garda Síochána in Roscommon town. We are also extremely fortunate that the General Register Office and the Property Registration Authority have been decentralised to the county town. It has been said there is spare capacity in these buildings. The Garda Síochána is moving some of its facilities to the General Register Office, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is moving some of its services to the Property Registration Authority. The Government is ensuring all State services will be combined in suitable buildings. If those buildings are environmentally designed with proper heating and lighting facilities, there will be a reduction in costs in the long term. The council is paying an enormous amount in rent. It would be far more desirable to have these rents put towards a loan. I hope the Minister will be the bearer of good news on this occasion.

This issue has created controversy in Roscommon. Very few country towns would decline a loan to build new civic offices. It is unique. As the Minister knows, we have been campaigning for services at Roscommon County Hospital. In this case, some people are campaigning for a decision to be made to refuse permission for this building to proceed. It is ironic that the Minister is here to deliver good news for the people of Roscommon on this occasion. I am sure they will be waiting with bated breath to hear his response.