Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what progress has been made to date regarding the procurement of a new site to construct a fit-for-purpose Coast Guard station in Courtown, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10695/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In line with my response to you (PQ Ref: 5527/25) on 18th February 2025, the Courtown Coast Guard station site has no capacity for expansion to incorporate sufficient facilities and is therefore currently on the Irish Coast Guard building programme list.

The OPW carried out a market trawl for suitable site options in the locality and has completed an appraisal process on all sites identified. As part of the appraisal process, feasibility studies were carried out on the potential sites, to ensure that all the Coast Guard requirements can be provided for and that there is no impediment to the proposed development, which will be subject to planning.

A review of the feasibility studies was undertaken and a preferred site was selected following consultation between the OPW and my Department. I am advised that the OPW are in active negotiations with the owner of the preferred site. As a result, given the commercially sensitive nature of the negotiations, the OPW are not in a position to provide further information on individual sites at this time.

The next steps require authorisation of funding by my Department, completion of the due diligence and acquisition of the preferred site. Once a suitable site is acquired, the OPW will assign a project team to commence the planning and detailed design stages of the project, to enable a tender process to be undertaken, subject to resources being available.

As an interim measure, my Department has secured accommodation for the Courtown Coast Guard unit in the local parochial house. This arrangement will remain in place until the new facility is provided.