'White elephant' concerns for Mary Robinson Centre
The project has encountered delays and financial challenges.
The Mary Robinson Centre is in danger of becoming a “white elephant”, a meeting of Mayo County Council heard.
The cost of work at the Ballina centre was included in an audit report carried out into the local authority’s finances. The overall cost of the project is expected to amount to approximately €5.3m, excluding fit-out costs. The committed income sources include funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Gaeltacht (DCHG) for €2m, of which €1.74m has been received to date towards the construction phase, and €1.1m from the Mary Robinson Foundation/Community Group, of which €300k has been received to date. The council has also provided funding of about €2m, while the remaining €250,000 from the DCHG grant is to be allocated towards the fit-out.
The council's chief executive Kevin Kelly told the auditor that the local authority remains in dialogue with the Mary Robinson Foundation in respect of the funding and fit-out, and work will continue in this regard to facilitate the opening of the facility.
Work was undertaken to the coachhouse element in 2024 by the Foundation and a number of events took place in this area of the development.
“It’s a white elephant that is going to go nowhere unless we take action in relation to it,” said Fianna Fail Cllr Michael Loftus.
Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn has been an outspoken critic of the centre’s financial circumstances.
“The financial situation of the centre has deteriorated considerably,” he remarked.
He said he was concerned that only €300,000 has been returned to Mayo County Council.
“In 2025 we have to determine what future that building has. We can’t allow it to sit idle for another year without knowing what the end game is and how we are going to get the doors open.”
The Victoria House Foundation was set up to drive the idea for the centre located on the banks of the Moy. The council purchased the house from the Robinson family to develop the project.
The project, which has received over €5m in public funding, has encountered significant delays and financial challenges.
