Ballina project 'in limbo' with 'no solution to it'

A councillor has said the proposed Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina is "in limbo".

Westport-based Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn referred to the project during a recent discussion on the council’s 2024 end-of-year audit report.

Principal auditor Ray Lavin noted the council had informed him that the overall cost of this project is expected to amount to about €5.3 million, excluding fit-out costs. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Gaeltacht had committed €2m to the project, of which €1.74m has been received, with the remaining €250,000 allocated towards the fit-out. The Mary Robinson Foundation has committed €1.1m, of which €300,000 is received.

"During 2024, the Council spent approximately €125,000 and allocated funding of €730,000 from reserves to this project. There a closing debit balance on this project at the end of 2024 of €2.24m (€2.85m in 2023).” 

Chief executive Kevin Kelly said the council "remains in dialogue with the Mary Robinson Foundation in respect of the funding and fit-out and efforts will continue in this regard to facilitate the opening of the facility".

Cllr Flynn said the project "lingers on and we still have no solution to it".

"I hope we will get work where the project is ongoing but don’t know where the funding is going to come from, so right now it is still in limbo and that is not good for anyone.” 

Cllr Michael Loftus added: “Something definitely needs to be done. The building in Ballina is just deteriorating and works will cost us so much more in the future.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.