An Post is using 70 to 80% of a building designated for Laois Civil Defence, a local Councillor has said.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley was left more than a little disgruntled after the most recent meeting of Laois County Council last week.
The Sinn Fein Cllr clashed with Council Chief Executive, Mr John Mulholland, regarding the new building designated for Laois Civil Defence.
Earlier this year, the Council bought the former Gings hardware building in Kea Lew Business Park, Portlaoise, for €1.8 million.
The Sinn Féin Cllr said the building had been earmarked as the new base for Laois Civil Defence, is currently seeing most of it’s area used by An Post.
“That’s not what I bought into. I feel we’ve been completely misled on this,” Cllr Stanley said.
“I feel so disappointed; I know that the Civil Defence are disappointed; and more importantly, the taxpayer, who believe that Civil Defence have their own building, are absolutely disgusted.
“They (Civil Defence) have 16 vehicles, and as we speak, seven of them will not be able to fit into the existing building, because An Post has the majority of the building.
“Their equipment is still over in Stradbally. It was their intention to move that over after the Ploughing (Championships), but they’re not going to be able to bring all their vehicles over.
“We were told the whole idea of getting them into this building was to get them all under the one roof.
“What are we after getting ourselves involved in here? Are we gone into real estate?
“We’re renting this property to An Post – that’s not what I was told; that’s not what I bought into.
“The message has to be very clear: either An Post goes out of that building or Civil Defence does.”
Cllr Aisling Moran supported the motion, corroborating Cllr Stanley’s stance that the elected members were led to believe An Post would have vacated the property by August of this year.
Addressing Council Chief Executive, Mr Mulholland, Cllr Moran said: “I’d like to know when the new contract was signed? How long was it signed for?
“And what’s your plans – how do you expect to get them out?
“Why, when you bought a building for the Civil Defence, have you turned around now and rented it from August?”
Mr Mulholland replied, saying: “At the time we put a bid on the premises, we informed members and said’it was a good proposal,’ and I’m still firmly of that view.
“The cost-saving in comparison to taking on the new Civil Defence building is still there.
“When it comes to the conveyancing and the exchange of contract documents with the owner, it is the case that there was a legal agreement attaching to the contract that allowed for the current renter to stay there until next March.
“At the time, when I appraised members earlier on this year, that was not known to me.
“So they (An Post) have a full legal agreement that entitles them to be there until next March.
“At that point, it will be vacated to cater, first of all, for the local elections.”
Addressing Cllr Stanley’s concerns and grievances, Mr Mulholland said:
“I don’t like hearing – because I don’t think it’s true – that you were misled.
“At the time, I brought it to your attention immediately when I had – I thought – struck a good deal for the Council to acquire the property.
“And it wasn’t until the contract documents were furnished that once could see there was a legal agreement there that entitles (An Post), under law, to have a lease until next March.
“We are doing what we can to enable a first move-in there, that over time will be furnished and fitted out to ny acceptable standard; and that, I think, will be a great achievement for Civil Defence in County Laois.”
Mr Mulholland boasted of the €72,000 annual income received by the Council as part of the agreement with An Post, which he pointed out could be identified as a funding mechanism for Civil Defence.
SEE ALSO – Major standoff as Councillors ‘disgusted’ with response from Laois Leisure
