Mattie McGrath: Demands Clonmel Garda Station Be Unbundled
Mattie McGrath urged the minister to remove Clonmel Garda station from a procurement bundle with the new Children's Court, arguing the projects are distinct and the current arrangement risks significant delays. He said planning permission is in place and a new plaza was recently opened, and called for the Garda station project to be unbundled so it can proceed.
Request to unbundle Clonmel Garda station
McGrath argued that the Garda station and the new Children's Court are entirely different projects - different buildings, architects and contractors - and said bundling them together is unacceptable. He warned the arrangement is causing delays and "could delay it for years to come," harming the Garda and the local public.
Local investment and planning status
He noted a recent local investment, with the minister opening a new plaza on Monday, and said a site and planning provisions for the Garda station have been granted and plans approved. McGrath emphasised that the Garda station is ready to progress independently.
Projects included in the bundle
According to the discussion, the current procurement bundle includes Clonmel Garda station, McCroom Garda station and the Hammond Lane Court complex. McGrath said the bundling has become a concern for local representatives, including Senator Hearn and Deputy Cattle.
Government response and funding work
Officials and ministers met this week with the OPW to examine the option of splitting the Garda station projects from the courts project to allow faster progress. Work is under way to re-profile funding lines - which officials say would not increase total cost but would change how funding is allocated - and the matter is being actively worked on.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
I think you have visited the Mel Garda station in the past, it is the Kingian station. Minister O'Brien opened the lovely new plaza on Monday, and indeed a huge investment, and a site there for the Garda station, and a planning provision that has been granted, plans are approved, but for some strange reason, and it is downright unacceptable, that now we have been bundled with Connick Hilty, I think Garda station, and the new Children's Court. The new Children's Court is a way different vehicle, so I am asking you, please, to ask the Minister of Justice to remove us out of that bundle with the Children's Court, different buildings, different architects, different contractors for public-private partnerships and all, so please, my request is that we unbundle that situation, that we stick with, no problem with other Garda stations, that are basically of the same footprint, but the fact that we are lumped in now, in recent times, maybe in the last 15 months, with the new Children's Court, is totally off the wall stuff, and it is further delaying, and could delay it for years to come, and it is not acceptable to the Garda and Clonmel, or the public. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. My understanding is that the bundle is Clonmel Garda station, McCroom Garda station, and the Hammond Lane Court complex, and I know this is an issue that is of real concern to Senator Hearn as well, and Deputy Cattle, and we had a meeting this week, in fact, involving Minister Dunahue, me, Minister O'Donovan on the OPW, Minister Harris, and we are now examining that option, splitting the Garda station projects, out from the courts project, which might allow them to go ahead quicker, we just want to be sure that that is the case, and we also need to work out how we would re-profile the funding, it would not cost any more to do it, but the funding line would fall differently, and that is being worked on at the moment. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle. Deputy Pringle.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
