David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a matter that I have raised previously in this House. However, on this occasion I would like to ask the Leader if he would write directly to the Minister for Justice and Equality asking for clarification about the fate of Fitzgibbon Street Garda station.I raised this previously and I was given information that was inaccurate. I was told it was being refurbished for use as a police station. This is not the case. Great secrecy surrounds it. It is indeed being refurbished, but the people refurbishing it have been told to say nothing about what they are doing it for. Once again, it is another hostel, as if Dublin 1 had not played its role in this area. We are stuffed with such institutions and it is time for another area of Dublin to take on some of the responsibility. I have great empathy with people who are homeless and I do what I can to assist them, but there is no information about this and we are being lied to. We do not know what follow-up services will be provided or whether the hostel will be wet or dry. We do not know what monitoring there will be. As I said, this is not a "not in our backyard" argument. Our backyard is full and the authorities are doing nothing for the central area of Dublin.

I would also like to refer to what was said about the Diageo campaign. Of course it is a farce. A drinks company is there to increase its sale of alcohol. It is not there to restrain any damage being done to young people. There is only one way of saving this committee. I have great respect for Fergus Finlay; I do not know what led him astray on this issue. Diageo should immediately turn its funding into a donation, pure and simple, with no strings attached. The Diageo member on the board should be withdrawn immediately, thereby ensuing that the committee is properly financed and seen clearly to be independent. Otherwise, it should be shut down.