Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber and taking this important Commencement matter. When I speak about Clonmel Garda station, I must first recognise that the Minister is responsible for two Departments. Kickham Barracks plays a key role in both Departments.

Before I outline my frustration with the Department of Justice and the Government regarding Clonmel Garda station, since I have not had an opportunity to do so in a public forum such as this, I acknowledge and thank the Minister for his support, and that of the Department of Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science, in financing and picking Kickham Barracks as one of ten sites throughout the country that will amalgamate the Technological University of the Shannon and further education ETBs as dual campuses. This will be something that will be an example to the country of how to do things in respect of further education in future. The €35 million being invested in Clonmel town centre is highly significant.

On top of that, as the Minister will know because he visited it - people thought he was there to open the plaza but it was the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who did so last week - there was a €10 million investment in Kickham Barracks in order to open it to the public. That opening was last week. The problem is all this positive news has again shone a light on a real elephant-in-the-room problem with Clonmel Garda station. The Minister is the fifth or sixth Minister for Justice from my party who has held that position during our period in Government since 2011. Almost every Minister has visited the Garda station, has met its superintendent, Willie Leahy, and all the gardaí who work there, and understands the conditions they are working in are not acceptable. They all accept we need to build a new Garda station. The problem is it is lumped in with Macroom Garda station and the Children Court. As the Minister will know, the problem with that is the Children Court is way behind Clonmel and Macroom Garda stations.

We are ready to go and ready to build the Garda station.The chief executive of Tipperary County Council said the exact same thing last week to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We are ready to go and ready to build. It is not acceptable that we have been waiting years, with Minister after Minister taking office, for this Garda station to be built. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Harris, previous Ministers and the Taoiseach about this issue. It is a critical issue for the people of Clonmel. The most frustrating aspect is that this delay is happening when investment is taking place in Clonmel, including in the Kickham Barracks site and, we hope, in the town centre in the next couple of months under the new round of urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, allocations. The redevelopment of Clonmel's whole town centre will be included in the applications under that scheme. It is not fair on the people who work day and night in the Garda station that they do not have the facilities they deserve. It is also not fair on the community. Like every other area, we have problems with antisocial behaviour, intimidation and violence against farmers and communities. If gardaí are to do their job properly, they need a station that is fit for purpose. The facility that is there at the moment does not meet that standard.

I am asking the Minister for the same thing I asked of the Taoiseach and previous Ministers. I probably was too light on this topic in the beginning, accepting something would be done in the end. I am at the stage now where I know the station will not be built if it stays in the project bundle with the family court facility in Dublin. It will not be built any time soon or within any acceptable timeframe. I ask the Minister to see whether it is possible to take Clonmel Garda station out of the combined project bundle that includes Macroom Garda station and the children's court facility and, instead, to ensure it is built as a single project. That is what the people in Clonmel and Tipperary deserve. It most certainly is what the gardaí and staff who work in the Clonmel district deserve.