I am delighted an Aire Stáit is here. Clonmel, a once bustling, proud and thriving town - Cluain Meala, the vale of honey - has been left to deteriorate in recent years. Last year, it had the highest vacancy rate in Tipperary at 18.6%. This has deteriorated further in recent weeks and months. The entire area of Market Place is boarded up and there are numerous prime retail units on the main street that have been boarded up and left to decay. Is mór agus uafásach an rud é sin. The town faces major challenges. I have discussed concerns with the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, recently. Last week saw the closure of yet another retail outlet, namely New Look, leaving another prime retail unit on the main street vacant. A long-established pub also closed its doors on Monday last. I salute the people running those businesses. Many of them are families and third-generation businesspeople. They are hanging on but getting no supports. All they are getting are more and more punitive charges. Many of the remaining retailers are struggling to hold on, with reduced footfall, higher rates - these went up again this year by 5% - the highest parking charges in the county, which is totally discriminatory against Clonmel, and huge issues involving antisocial behaviour. The latter have led to many people avoiding the town centre. On a daily basis, one can witness unfortunate souls struggling with drug addiction and hanging around the streets, which has led to a sense of fear and people avoiding the town centre. This is not an easy thing to say because businesses are trying to hold on and in need of support. Urgent action is needed or we will lose even more businesses. They are doing their best to pay the rates, insurance, keep shop fronts nice, have a presence, look after staff and pay VAT, property tax and other taxes. They are not getting support. Once the capital town of County Tipperary, Clonmel has struggled since the closure by Phil Hogan, I remind the Minister of State, of the borough council. There is huge employment out of town but the town centre is decaying. When we lost borough status, we lost €20 million per annum. Going back to 2014, we have lost €200 million of investment in the town centre. Borough status will have to be restored. They only have €200,000 this year; last year it was €160,000. It is a pittance for a town the size of Clonmel. The town needs a whole-of-government approach to bring it back to its former glory. It cannot be ignored any longer. I have asked this of four taoisigh, namely Enda Kenny, Micheál Martin, Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris. I ask again for a task force to be formed working across many Departments, including enterprise, justice, local government and rural development, together with the local authorities, health services to deal with addiction issues and An Garda Síochána. The town needs action now. It cannot be ignored any longer. Will the Minister of State please commit to the establishment of a task force to help the town as a matter of urgency? Last evening, a community-wide meeting was held in the Talbot Hotel to discuss substance abuse in the town. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend because I was here, but this shows the concerns that are there. I commend Richie Gleeson and all the other agencies that were present at the meeting. Richie was there on behalf of the vintners and businesspeople. I am pleased that efforts are being made, with a newly appointed vacancy and dereliction team engaging with Clonmel borough district. The town is also waiting for funding for some grant projects under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF. This is something I am looking for but I am not happy they will remove 86 parking spaces from O'Connell Street and Gladstone Street as part of this. This is sheer lunacy. It will lead to the town being closed down completely.

Sentiment score: -0.02

Chuala mé an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, an Teachta James O'Connor, cúpla lá ó shin. I heard the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach talking about Youghal town centre. All the towns are struggling, but Clonmel has been under siege. The then CEO, Joe McGrath from Nenagh, took over when the county was amalgamated. All the directorships of roads, planning and finance went to Nenagh, and all the money collected in Clonmel from the parking goes straight to Nenagh. You could eat your dinner off the streets in Nenagh town centre. The investment there has been unparalleled. I do not begrudge Nenagh, but we want fair play. Fair play is fine play with me, but Clonmel has been blackguarded, downgraded and diminished while this administration with the power base in Nenagh was there. It is shocking. Now Mr. McGrath has gone into retirement. I wish him well, but what happened was not right. We have only one resident living in the main street in Clonmel now. Her name is Mary O'Gorman, cara mór liomsa. Only one person living on the main thoroughfare - that has to be changed. The Minister of State mentioned some schemes and I welcome them. He also mentioned Kickham Barracks. I welcome the fact we may be getting a Garda station soon but we have no gardaí to put into it. We have been looking for it for 60 years. The Minister of State did not mention why the barracks was empty and inaccessible. It was a wonderful place and the pride of the men and women of Clonmel and surrounding areas who served their country, town and communities. Phil Hogan and Fine Gael, again, abolished it. We badly need something in there but that will not help the town centre. The town centre is not working. The town team was mentioned. I has never knocked on my door. I do not even know who is on it but I wish them well. There is a complete disconnect. Most business people and community organisations do not know who sits on it either. We want a task force, not a token town team that nobody knows. We want serious Government investment to stop the rot in Clonmel. We want URDF funding but we do not want 86 parking spaces removed from the centre of the town. That will kill the town completely. We might as well put gates up at both ends of it. I want to talk up the proud people of Clonmel, a proud and noble town. I hate to come in here and say this today but it has gone on for far too long. Clonmel is on life support at the moment and it needs serious help and investment. I ask the Minister of State to come down to Clonmel and walk the town with Deputies Murphy and Healy and me and see what is going on and the dereliction, the lack of investment and, above all, the drug problems and antisocial behaviour.

Sentiment score: 0.07