Aindrias Moynihan
Question:16. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the programme for Government. [19258/23]
View answerWednesday, 26 April 2023
Questions (16)
Oral answers (4 contributions)
The Government has been working to implement commitments in the programme for Government. These are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanism of the Cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet committees established by Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the programme for Government. Cabinet committees meet regularly to accomplish their work. Strategy statements currently being prepared by all Government Departments will reflect national priorities outlined in the programme for Government.
The Department of the Taoiseach continues to help to advance the programme for Government commitments in the following priority policy areas: implementation of Housing for All; the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, which covers the climate action plan and other matters relating to climate; advances in Sláintecare, which operates under the support and oversight of my Department; the ongoing oversight and implementation of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV; driving delivery of our commitments on the shared island initiative; ensuring the implementation of New Decade, New Approach commitments with regard to North-South issues; promoting and strengthening British-Irish relations; ongoing engagement with EU leaders; other international commitments; ongoing oversight and implementation of A Policing Service for the Future following on from the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland; the development of a well-being framework for Ireland; publication of Harnessing Digital and the progress report on that; and the work of the citizens' assemblies.
The programme for Government set out a mission to build safer, secure communities. Part of that is implementing the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, which the Taoiseach referred to, and supporting the Garda with the resources it needs to do its work. A new policing model has already been rolled out in many parts of the country. This is now being rolled out in County Cork, one of the larger areas. An obvious part of that model appears to be missing in County Cork, in that while a headquarters has been identified in Macroom, with planning permission obtained and the site ready, the matter is not being advanced. It is bundled with projects relating to Clonmel and a courthouse. To operate a policing model effectively in an area as large as County Cork, the project relating to those headquarters needs to be advanced. I ask the Taoiseach if there is a way of advancing the project relating to Macroom, even if it were to be decoupled from the bundle. The programme for Government specifically refers to the courthouse. It is strange that this was included in a bundle with a Garda station. Is there a way of decoupling them in order that there can be headquarters for that large area of Cork, as the new policing model is rolled out?
I was mistaken; I rushed Deputy Moynihan unnecessarily. We have until 1.58 p.m., so the Taoiseach can respond. I apologise.
Deputy Moynihan's colleague, Deputy Creed, has raised this issue of a Garda station in Macroom with me many times. We are working on the issue. I met the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Office of Public Works recently about it. A new station is needed in Macroom quite urgently, as well as one in Clonmel.
The Deputy is correct to say the difficulty is that it has been rolled into a wider public private partnership, PPP, project involving two Garda stations, one in Macroom and the other in Clonmel, and the Hammond Lane court complex in Dublin. It may have been a good idea at the time but it clearly has not worked out. Officials are working on decoupling those projects, which would allow us to proceed to construction in Macroom and Clonmel within months. Hammond Lane would then be a stand-alone PPP, which may take a bit longer. We are working on that. It is heading in the right direction, but I am not in a position to confirm that we can do it just yet. We are working on it.
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