asked the Minister for Finance when it is intended to provide a Garda station at the Ballymun estate, Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballymun (Dublin) Garda Station.
21.
Drawings, specifications and bills of quantities for the proposed new station at Ballymun are ready. It is hoped to invite tenders within the next few weeks.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say when he expects to have the Garda station completed?
I cannot say when it will be completed.
When will the service be available?
The difficulty at the moment is that we are trying to clear up a problem with Dublin Corporation regarding the site. We expect that to be resolved in the next week or two.
Will it be six months or a year or 18 months? Can the Parliamentary Secretary make any prediction?
I have not got that information.
Is it not true that these plans have been ready for a long time and that they were to start building last October? Why did not the building start then? Was it because of a shortage of money?
No. The position is that there is a shortage of architectural staff and, in order to overcome any delay in this respect, a firm of outside consultants were employed. The bills of quantity had to be prepared then and the Office of Public Works received them in December. As I say, agreement has not yet been reached with Dublin Corporation on the terms of the lease of the site.
What consultants?
Outside architects. A private firm of architects.
An Irish firm?
Yes.
The point is that building was to start last October.
The bills of quantity were made available to us last December.
Building was to start last October.
That is not correct. Anyway, this is Deputy Browne's question and I do not know why everybody else is muscling in.
Is it the practice of the Office of Public Works to employ outside architects and, if so, do they do it often?
That is a separate question.
It arises out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply.
It does not arise. The question relates to a Garda station at Ballymun.
I beg to differ. The Parliamentary Secretary said that it was hoped to invite tenders within the next few weeks. I want to ask a question arising out of that reply.
That does not arise out of the question on the Order Paper.
I want to ask a question arising out of the reply.
The Deputy may put down a question.
I am asking it arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply.
It would not be in order for the Parliamentary Secretary to deal with it as it does not arise.
Does it arise out of the question or out of the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary?
That is a separate question.
Is it, in fact, the practice for the Office of Public Works to do this and, if so, how often do they do it?
I am afraid it is becoming increasingly necessary because of a shortage of skilled staff within the Office of Public Works.
In what way are they selected?
From Taca.
They are selected on the recommendation of the Chief Architect of the Office of Public Works.
Can we take that as a guarantee?
Yes.
How is it that they are asking for tenders for a building and they have not yet decided that they have a site?
We have a site. There is a difficulty with the corporation regarding the leasing of the site. It is not a very serious difficulty and we expect it to be resolved within the next couple of weeks.
The commissioner should not be so difficult.