Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response on the question of the Coast Guard station in Arklow. The fact that the contract will be awarded from Q1 of 2025 is welcome and good news. The Minister of State said that once the contract is awarded, there will be nine months of construction. Therefore, there is a possibility that all going well, the project will be completed by Christmas 2025, subject to the wording in the contract. At worst, it could be finished in 2026.

Unfortunately, in respect of the Minister of State's answer concerning Courtown - I appreciate he is only relaying what he is being told - it is a cut and paste of what he was given six months ago. I am not satisfied with that response. The OPW has done nothing as far as I am concerned. I am not frustrated for myself but for the people who have to work in a completely inadequate facility.The Minister of State will appreciate how hard people work in the Coast Guard and what they do for our coastal communities. Many Ministers and others have down to visited this facility and they have all viewed it as inadequate. That answer is not acceptable. The OPW have not taken any action on this. I have been getting the same answer for four years and the only change is that it has gone from six sites to five sites to commercially sensitive negotiations. It is just not acceptable.