Great news for Athenry!
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has given the go-ahead for the proposed new fire station.
The approval by the Department means that the design phase for the station can proceed and that we can progress towards the tender process.
Meanwhile, discussions with the IDA about the site on the outskirts of the town are at an advanced stage.
I have been working closely with the Acting Chief Fire Officer for Galway Paul Duffy and Minister Eoghan Murphy and his department officials and I want to acknowledge all of their input in reaching a successful conclusion to this initiative. Minister Murphy accompanied me on a visit to the site a few months ago to see at first hand the proposed location for the station.
Athenry is a progressive town, which is seeing the benefit of major initiatives such as the new school buildings for the Presentation College and Clarin College, the Link Road, the Waste Water Treatment Centre and the Bia Innovator food project, which is being part-funded by my department, the Department for Rural and Community Development.
The town will soon have a state of the art fire service to complement the new fire station that was recently opened in Tuam. Plans to extend Loughrea Fire Station are also in hand and I am working closely with the Fire Service in that regard.
These improvements to essential services in East and North Galway will greatly enhance the safety of all those living in the towns and their surrounding areas.