Legal intervention over new school sub-station

WORK on an ESB sub-station for Coláiste Chú Chullain has been suspended following ‘ legal intervention’, councillors have been informed.

Construction of the new 1,000-student school, close to the Marshes shopping centre, is continuing.

However, a substation to power the building, located near to houses in Bishop’s Court, has been a cause of concern for some time.

And, because of the legal situation, council officials would not be drawn on the matter when it was raised by Cllr. Tomás Sharkey.

He said he would have preferred to learn the sub-station work had been altered, rather than suspended.

There is no requirement for the sub-station to be in that location, the Sinn Féin representative contended.

‘It means there is a delay getting power to the school building.’

He reminded the meeting this is not an LMETB or Department of Education project, but a Louth county council project.

‘We, as a county council, have taken on the building of a school, which is now taking more time than it should, and there is potential for delay.’

However, senior engineer Pat Finn said, as the matter is subject to legal proceedings, he is not in a position to elaborate further.

Cllr. Sharkey came back to ask, ‘ As project managers, when will be have electricity in the building?’

Director of service, Paddy Donnelly, said it is before the courts, and is sub judice (under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere).

Cllr. Sharkey tried again. ‘ When will we get the keys?’

‘You should have come to the meeting, then you would know,’ Cllr. Maeve Yore interjected.

It was reiterated that officials are not in a position to address the matter.