Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2025
193. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Transport the progress that has been made to date regarding the procurement of a new site to construct a fit-for-purpose Coastguard station in Courtown, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5527/25]
View answerMy department is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) building programme, essentially aimed at ensuring Coast Guard stations along the coast are fit for purpose. The programme is managed through the Office of Public Works (OPW) from planning and design to build and ongoing maintenance, with legal assistance as necessary from the Chief State Solicitor's Office. The programme is funded through the Department of Transport Vote.
The existing Coast Guard station site at Courtown cannot accommodate the additional facilities required to bring the station up to standard, and is therefore included on the IRCG building programme.
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.
Following completion of the feasibility studies, a preferred site was selected following consultation between the OPW and my Department. 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.
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 completed.
