Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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256.To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made to date regarding the development of a permanent Irish Coastguard base in west Connemara, County Galway, particularly the progress made on site selection; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35036/24]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Transport is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) building programme, which aims to ensure that 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 on-going maintenance.

The Cleggan Unit is on the priority list for the IRCG Building Programme.

In 2015, draft drawings were submitted to the Department for review from the Office of Public Works (OPW) to explore the possibility for both temporary and permanent facilities for the Cleggan Coast Guard Unit. An initial Feasibility Study was carried out; however, the project faced several delays including funding, OPW resources issues and pandemic restrictions.

Since 2017, the Cleggan Coast Guard Unit has operated out of the temporary base at the Department of Rural & Community Development airstrip site. The Unit also has possession of their original Coast Guard rocket house at Cleggan pier which is used as a storage facility.

Coast Guard rocket houses, including Cleggan’s, are suitable to meet the storage needs of an IRCG unit but not the welfare needs of Coast Guard volunteers and are, for the most part, in use as secondary unit buildings. Cleggan Coast Guard Unit vehicles and equipment remain at the Cleggan air strip which is primarily another storage facility.

An interim arrangement has been provided in recent years for the Cleggan Unit with the local community centre for use of meeting and welfare facilities. More recently this has been enhanced by a further arrangement with the Station House Hotel in Clifden for use of facilities, for training purposes.

Given the passage of time, the OPW reviewed the initial feasibility study that was carried out on the selected site, in advance of appointing a full design and resource team. The OPW have identified an alternative, less restrictive location, within the overall site, that is considered suitable for the Coast Guard Station.

The OPW are engaging with the Department of Transport to finalise the IRCG’s brief of requirements and prepare an initial design. When agreed, the OPW will then re-commence negotiations with the owner of the land to discuss the acquisition of the alternative area within the site.

Following any acquisition, the OPW will then assign a project team to commence the planning and detailed design stages of the project.