LMETB base to go ahead

Delight with minister’s approval

THE new Louth Meath Education Training Board (LMETB) headquarters project - on a site beside St Oliver’s CC - is back on track with the project set to go back out to public tender.

Senator Ged Nash has welcomed the news, remarking, “I secured this new landmark HQ for Drogheda but since I lost my Dáil seat and left government the political momentum behind the project has stalled. The project, which will be the first state body to be directed to headquarter in Drogheda in living memory will house almost 60 staff and will occupy a new landmark building.

‘ Through our work with the LMETB and the Department, the blockages have been removed and the multi-million euro project is back on track.”

Local TD, Fergus O’Dowd said the ‘unacceptable delays’ were due to design issues, in particular the need for further security additions.

‘ The project had previously been tendered but those tenders are out of date. The next steps are for the project to be re-tendered and approval has thankfully been approved by the Minister. When this process has been satisfactorily completed, approval will be given to award a contract and construction will begin.”

“This update received from my colleague Minister for Education, Richard Bruton TD, follows many representations I have made on the delays alongside my party colleague and board member Cllr Oliver Tully since being made aware of the delays back in 2016. This will now see the project in a position to advance, to date €250k has been spent on design team fees, planning fees, DAC fees and surveys.”

Cllr. Pio Smith said, “Senator Nash has been pushing this project for a long time. He and I met with the ETB recently and we expressed in the strongest terms that we would not take no for an answer. It is great to see this prestigious project for Drogheda finally moving again and we are hopeful that the building will be up and running within the next 18 months to two years.”