asked the Minister for Finance whether he has received representations from the Carrickmacross Urban District Council in regard to works at present being carried out by the Office of Public Works on the Garda Síochána station, Carrickmacross; and whether he is aware that these works threaten to disfigure the building, and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to avoid injuring this important building in the town of Carrickmacross.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Carrickmacross Garda Station.
Following the provision of a new sewerage system in the town, the Carrickmacross Urban District Council requested that the Garda Síochána station drainage be connected with that system. The levels of the new sewers are, however, such that the connection of the existing drain serving the Garda station would not be feasible without considerable expenditure and without interfering with a number of properties in private ownership. It was, therefore, decided to install new sanitary and lavatory facilities on the second floor of the Garda station and to connect them to the public sewer in the adjoining street by means of pipes attached to the front wall of the building. I am advised that there is no practical alternative to this arrangement and that it will not result in the appearance of the building being disfigured.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether he has received representations from the Carrickmacross Urban District Council in regard to this matter?
Yes, representations have been received.
That the building is being disfigured?
That is a matter of opinion and it is held by the engineers and the architects in the Office of Public Works that there is no disfigurement and that we have similar installations in the City of Dublin.
In view of the fact that there does appear to be a genuine disagreement between the local authorities, who are, after all, primarily concerned with the amenity of this building, which is one of the most prominent in the town of Carrickmacross, and the engineers in the Board of Works, would the Parliamentary Secretary himself review this matter? Would he review it and perhaps see if undue weight has not been given to the opinion of the engineers, without due regard to architectural considerations which are, after all, of some importance when dealing with a venerable building in a relatively small country town?
I will promise the Deputy to have it reviewed but I am not going to make a definite promise that the decision already come to will be altered.