Council responds to claims that Chamber upgrade will cost €700,000
Mayo Co Council chamber
Mayo County Council has said estimated costs for an upgrade of the Council Chamber will be presented to elected members before a decision is made following claims from an elected member the upgrade would cost an estimated €700,000.
Aontú Cllr Paul Lawless, who was first elected in June, said last he had serious concerns over ‘talk of spending €700,000’ on a refurbishment of the Mayo County Council Chamber.
“This chamber is no larger than two school classrooms, and yet there’s talk of spending €700,000 on its refurbishment. This is both outrageous and unjustifiable. I was shocked no government party Councillor voiced opposition to the consideration,” said Cllr Lawless.
He said taxpayers’ money should be spent in a way that benefits the greatest number of people and ensures value for money. Cllr Lawless said the Council Chamber spend is ‘part of a larger pattern of wasteful government spending’, comparing it to the recently uncovered controversial spend of €336,000 on a bike shelter outside Leinster House.
“Accountability and transparency must be at the heart of how public money is managed, both nationally and locally. The Irish people deserve a government and councils responsible with their funds,” he said.
A spokesperson for Mayo County Council said the Council Chamber was designed and constructed almost 30 years ago and the nature of the Council and requirements for the Chamber have changed greatly in the years since.
“The limitations of the current Chamber is a matter which has been under consideration for some time as it has been identified by both the Elected Members and the executive that the Chamber in its current configuration is not suitable or fit to meet the needs of a modern forward looking Council and the communities which it serves,” they said.
The spokesperson said the current Chamber is not suitable to host Civic Receptions. They added there is limited space for members of the public or the press to attend normal council meetings and the Chamber is also not compliant with requirements for universal accessibility for those with auditory or visual impairments.
The spokesperson said there are also issues with the infrastructure in the Council Chamber.
“The heating, ventilation and lighting systems are poor and are not energy efficient. We also know the issue of sound in the chamber during meetings needs attention. Furthermore, the requirements for hybrid and online meetings cannot be well served by the current IT and configuration.”
They added a number of options are being developed and assessed and these options, along with estimated costs, will be presented to elected members before a decision is made on the refurbishment.
