A full thirteen years after the Council offices in Fair Street, including the planning section and the Council meeting chamber were destroyed by fire, there is still no definite date as to when the buildings will be restored.
Independent Councillor Kevin Callan raised the issue at yesterday evening’s Borough District of Drogheda meeting by asking Council officials when they expect work to begin on restoring the buildings which were damaged by fire in 2009.
“We have effectively been without a place to meet on council property as an elected body for 13 years after the Council’s chamber and planning section burned down in January 2009” he said.
“These buildings are public buildings which are for the people of the town to use and to facilitate access to services.
He said that ever since he was first elected in 2009 the Councillors who are elected by the people of Drogheda to represent them have been without a proper place to meet on their behalf.
Since the fire, not only have councillors had to meet in various different halls but the council have had to rent office space at considerable expense to accommodate staff and to allow members of the public to avail of council services.
“We need to get this project underway and get the buildings back in operation and open to the public” Callan said.
He said that such a situation would not be tolerated in other local authorities such as Dublin City Council.
“We are waiting 13 years, I am sure Dublin would be waiting less than 13 months” he said.
“I have been elected since 2009 and in all that time we as a body elected by the people of Drogheda have been without a proper place to meet on behalf of the people who elect us.
In his response Louth County Council’s Director of Services Paddy Donnelly said that Councillor Callan’s concerns for the restoration of the buildings were shared by the Chief Executive adding that several tenders had been received which are currently being considered.
“The Council and the Chief Executive are keen for the project to proceed as quickly as possible” he said.
