Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, is welcome to the Chamber. Senator Ahearn has four minutes.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I have lost count of how many times I have raised this subject in this House, at home and in local media. It relates to Clonmel Garda station. I look forward to the Minister's response. We are finally at a point where we have a solution and this project can progress. I have raised it so often because of the number of delays to the Garda station project and, most important, to support the gardaí who work in the Clonmel district. We have a fine site in Kickham Barracks to build a new, modern Garda station for all the staff. This would be done in conjunction with an expansion of Kickham Barracks, with which the Minister will be familiar having visited the site many times in his role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and Minister for Justice. The one part that was not progressing at the speed we would like was Clonmel Garda station. As everyone in the area knows, that was because the project is part of a public private partnership, PPP, project with Macroom Garda station and the children's court in Dublin. It was the latter that was holding up all three projects. Clonmel Garda station was ready to go but could not progress because it was in that group. It was a stumbling block and it has taken some time to figure out how to get over it.

Most people's concern is that the conditions in Clonmel Garda station are probably the worst in the country. It is a dated building that cannot be improved and does not fit the requirements of a modern-day unit. We have amazing gardaí working in Clonmel but they do not have a facility that is fit for purpose. That has an impact on morale, given the challenges they face with antisocial behaviour and drugs. What happens now could dramatically change that. The station is led by the new superintendent, Kieran Ruane and his team, and prior to that it was led by the Superintendent Willie Leahy who retired just weeks ago.

I raise this matter in the broader context of protecting our communities. Given the antisocial behaviour of recent years, we in rural areas want a Garda force that is high in numbers, has the equipment it deserves and has a building that is fit for purpose to ensure we have stronger, safer communities across the country and our citizens are protected. I hope the Minister's response will be that this is exactly what he will provide the people of Clonmel and County Tipperary.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank my colleague and friend, Senator Ahearn, for raising this matter again. He has raised it on many occasions on behalf of the people of Clonmel. It is a huge issue for people and members of An Garda Síochána in the town. We need to provide the people of Clonmel and County Tipperary with this new Garda station in Kickham Barracks. It has been on the priority list for quite a while and has been identified as a key Garda project. As the Senator knows more than most, it has been included in a PPP with Macroom Garda station and the development of children’s courts at a site on Hammond Lane in Dublin.

I am delighted to confirm that approval has been granted to proceed with the development of the new Garda station in Clonmel. It will be funded via the direct Exchequer funding route. It has, as a result, been decoupled from the public private partnership with the court development. It is anticipated that the timeline for delivery of the Garda station will be substantially reduced. We have a green light and all systems go for the new Garda station for Clonmel. The development of the new Garda station in Macroom, County Cork, will also benefit from being decoupled from the justice PPP and will also be funded directly by the Exchequer.

As the Senator will be aware, my officials and I have been in ongoing contact with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, Deputy O’Donovan, and their teams of officials. I thank them for their work on this matter. In particular, I thank the Taoiseach for his support and leadership on this.

The Senator will be aware that the construction of the new Garda district headquarters station at Kickham Barracks in Clonmel is a long-standing strategic priority for An Garda Síochána and part of the Garda building and refurbishment programme.The programme is based on agreed Garda priorities. It will benefit more than 30 locations around the country.

The real frustration in Clonmel was that they would have to wait for a significant period to see this new Garda station because of the court development in Dublin but that is no longer the case. Clonmel Garda headquarters comprises a new 3,630 sq. m building on a site of around 0.46 ha and will consists of two, three- and four-storey buildings, a stand-alone single-storey building and related existing demolitions, site and boundary works. The accommodation of the main building includes: offices; conference facilities; staff support facilities; custody areas; and plant and associated ancillary spaces. This will be a significant development.

I know Kickham Barracks well because this is just one of a number of Government investments to put the old barracks site back into public use. We have seen the incredible development of the public realm space and I was delighted to be down there. We know it will also be the home of a new further and higher education campus. It will probably be the first campus in the country to offer a full pathway from further education to higher education. Whether it is higher education, the public realm or the Garda station, this is direct and significant investment in Clonmel and Kickham Barracks. Today is an important day.

I also want to pay tribute to the Garda in Tipperary, including all of the leadership and management team there. They have been working to make sure they have the proper facilities to serve the people of Clonmel and for members of An Garda Síochána and I am sure today is a good day for them. The project will move forward; it is a project that has planning and it will need to go to tender. I anticipate that this project will go to construction in 2024. Déanaim comhghairdeas with everybody in Clonmel and I am delighted to be able to confirm this news.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for that confirmation. The Minister said he hopes this is good news for the Garda in Clonmel and I can tell him straight that it is hugely good news. I was speaking to the superintendent there and he has confirmed his team in Clonmel of this and they are overwhelmed and thrilled that this is happening. It has been a long time coming but we have got there in the end. This could not have happened without the intervention of the Minister, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe. I sincerely thank them for prioritising Clonmel and its Garda station, which was important.

The project is being funded by the Exchequer and the only reason that could be done is that the economy is strong. That is due to funding we are getting in from tax measures, which is based on decisions the Government has made. It would not have happened only for that and we would not be in a space where we are able to fund this otherwise, which is significant. To get the green light today is a major achievement for the people of Clonmel and it is a huge recognition of the importance of that Garda station and it will make it complete. I look forward to ground being broken on it in 2024, and I thank the Minister for his personal interest in this in recent months. I am grateful for that.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Tipperary has such a proud tradition of supporting An Garda Síochána, with the Garda College based in Templemore. We saw another class of Garda recruits enter this week. This is a year when we will begin to see Garda numbers grow again after the Covid pandemic, with more people becoming members of An Garda Síochána than leaving it. That is happening in Templemore. It is so important that we provide the Garda with the right facilities. That is why we are going to roll out body cameras, have stronger sentenced for people who try to attack gardaí, continue to roll out more Garda vehicles and invest in Garda stations.

I know there was a real frustration in Clonmel because, as the Senator rightly reminds us, at a different time in our country's economic history the public private partnership was seen as a way of delivering this project. We are back to a situation, with Exchequer funding, where we can get on with the direct build of the Garda stations. This means that instead of the Clonmel Garda station being a project in the distance, it is one that can proceed to tender this year and that can go to construction next year. This will mean a new Garda station for the people of Clonmel much more quickly.

I thank Senator Ahearn for his work and advocacy on this matter. I assure him that we will continue to monitor the delivery of this project closely.