Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. He will be aware of the Courtown-Arklow Coast Guard unit. It is one unit. I raise the question of the facilities for the Coast Guard stations in Arklow and Courtown.

In the case of the Arklow Coast Guard station, the Minister of State will be aware that in December last year Wicklow County Council granted planning permission for upgrades to the building. This extension would allow for a disabled toilet, a shower, a changing room, extra storage and a canteen-cum-meeting room. Since that planning permission was granted, no action has been taken to move on the building of the facility.

I turn to the case of the Courtown Coast Guard station.The Minister of State and I engaged on this previously, soon after he was appointed to this Department. I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of action concerning this facility. This goes back now over a decade. I have had to raise it numerous times in this House because there has been no progress.

On 24 February 2022, when the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, came into the House, she told me that six sites had been shortlisted and that Courtown was on the "building programme priority list". On 23 November 2022, the then Minister, Deputy Harris, came into the House and informed me that this was "one of the key priorities" for the OPW. He went on to say that "OPW officials are giving this project every priority possible at this time". That was November 2022. By the summer of 2023, it was indicated following correspondence that there may be some issue with Wexford County Council. I, therefore, arranged a meeting in the Coast Guard hut in Courtown between the then junior transport Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, and Wexford County Council during which it was clearly established that Wexford County Council had no issue with any of the sites, and the OPW informed us that it was narrowing it down to five sites. On 10 October 2023, because I could not get any further information, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, came into the House and again informed me that Courtown was one of the key priorities for the OPW.

When the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, appeared before this House earlier this year, I raised the question of the Courtown Coast Guard station and he informed me again that it was one of the key priorities for the OPW. I requested that the Coast Guard locally be kept informed by the OPW. The Minister of State told me that the OPW would inform the Department of Transport, which in turn would inform the Coast Guard. Have we heard anything? No. On 16 September of this year, I emailed the Minister of State's office asking for an update on both the Arklow and Courtown facilities. My email was acknowledged on 17 September. I have been seeking an update since from his office and from the OPW, but I have not received one.

The Minister of State will understand the frustration being experienced by Coast Guard members and coastal communities. Planning permission in Arklow was granted and nothing seems to be happening. The Coast Guard personnel on the ground in Arklow are certainly not aware of any progress. In the case of Courtown, however, we are continually being told it is a priority, yet it does not appear to be. Is the OPW actually capable of delivering these projects? If this is meant to be a priority for the OPW, I would hate to see something that is not.