Questions asked on status of LMETB headquarters build
MAYOR of Drogheda Pio Smith last week attended a crisis meeting with the Chief Executive of Louth and Meath Education Board to query the delay in starting the building of the new Head Quarters.
Although more than €3m was allocated to the project and planning permission granted two years ago, there is still no sign of a commencement date for construction.
The landmark building is set to be built on at 21 acre site on the grounds of St. Oliver’s Community College , at the junction of Rathmullen Road and Marley’s Lane.
The Mayor was accompanied by Senator Ged Nash, who was central to having the town designated as the Head Quarters for the ETB when they met the Chief Executive at the Navan office recently. They wished to know why the project had come to a standstill and what would be the start date.
“I informed the Chief Executive that this was a Government decision not a local one,” Cllr Smith told the Drogheda Independent.
“We wanted to know how much had been already spent on the project and were told that it was more than €250,000, so queried accountability for this amount of money if there were further delays.”
He said he is sure the Minister must be asking what is going on that a government decision seems to be held up and that staff travel over and back from Navan to Dundalk daily, adding that for too long Drogheda has been overlooked in favour of Dundalk.
“This is a very important project for Drogheda, now the biggest town in Ireland,’ he said.
The CEO said that there were safety concerns around the site that had to be addressed and this had been done.
He also said that LMETB will have to re-tender as costs had increased.
It was also stated that there are schools in the area which don’t have proper facilities and that the Board of LMETB would have to look at spending money on a HQ for Drogheda.