Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand the Senator's frustration on behalf of his constituents and the people of Clonmel. There has been some progress made. Planning permission has been in place since 2021 to build a Garda station in Clonmel. When this Government was formed and our party came to office this was identified as a priority. It has been on the list of projects that will be funded. This planning permission has been sought and secured and now the Taoiseach is working with me, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to see how quickly these projects can be delivered. As Minister for Justice, my most important priority every single day is keeping the people of this country, including the men and women of An Garda Síochána, safe. To do so, we need to invest in recruiting more people and we need to invest in facilities, stations, vehicles and equipment. There is a clear need in Clonmel to bring forward this investment. There will be nobody, other than perhaps the Senator and the people of Clonmel, happier than I will be if we can make progress on this project. I am very happy to keep in touch with the Senator on this matter.