This article is from page 16 of the 2012-01-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
CLARE County Council’s headquarters in Ennis have been described as looking more like “a latter day Fawlty Towers” than the state of the art facility € 27m facility that was opened in 2008.
The claim was made of former Mayor of Clare, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) after it was revealed that over € 130,000 worth of repairs are needed on the headquarters that was constructed by Michael McNamara & Co, formerly one of Ireland’s leading building contractors that went into receivership in November 2010.
And, during a debate that was sparked by Cllr Kelly’s motion calling on council chiefs to give a breakdown on the Áras an Chláir works, it emerged that Clare County Council could yet be forced to foot the bill for improvements.
This is because, despite a guarantees received by Michael McNamara & Co that it would pay for improvement works for a 12-year period, the appointed
Receiver Farrell Grant Sparks has so given “no commitment” that it will cover the costs.
In his motion Cllr Kelly asked that “a report be made available with regard to repairs” which covered the “cost of repairs to date”, the estimated cost of future repairs” and “who pays the costs”.
In response, senior executive officer Michael McNamara said “work is nearing completion on the rectification of defective parapet capping on the roof at Corporate Headquarters and the contractor will then be attending to the rectifying the cause of the staining to the external wall near the Chamber”.
Mr McNamara also revealed that “payments in respect of their works total € 51,640 and the estimated further cost of completing the works is € 80,000”.
Áras an Chláir was officially opened four years ago this month.
The development, the largest building project in the county since the construction of Moneypoint Power Station, was built to provide accommodation for 300 staff, as well as meeting rooms, a staff canteen, a laboratory, a Mayor’s office, a council chamber, three party rooms for the elected members and 320 car parking spaces.
“Was a commitment got from the receiver that the costs of the work would be met,” asked Cllr Kelly during Monday’s January monthly meeting of the council.
“We have no commitment from the receiver,” admitted
Mr McNamara. “The council has been in correspondence with the receiver with a view to getting money for the works.
“The contractor provided a collateral agreement to meet the cost of remedial works for a period of 12 years from the date of completion of the building – this agreement remains in place until 2020,” he told the meeting.
“There is a legal contract in place and the money can be recouped,” said County Manager, Tom Coughlan.
Former Mayor of Clare, Patricia McCarthy criticised the use of ‘Fawlty Towers’ to describe the council headquarters, saying “with all due respects to Cllr Kelly,
you have to be very careful to describe it in the way he does. We have a fine building and a modern building”.
“People are every impressed with this building,” said County Manager, Tom Coughlan.
“None of them have told me that t looks like Fawlty Towers.
“None of them have said that the place is falling down,” he added.
Cllr Kelly was a Fianna Fáil council colleague of former Michael McNamara & co chief, Bernard McNamara, who served on Clare County Council from 1974 to 1985.