There was widespread shock in March 2021 when Bank of Ireland announced that they were to close 88 local branches including the one in Dunleer.
Local Fine Gael TD, Fergus O’Dowd described the move as “unexpected, unwarranted and deplorable”.
Today though, he has warmly welcomed news that the former Bank of Ireland building has been purchased for the provision of library services and a multi-purpose community space for Dunleer.
“I’m absolutely delighted we now have confirmation that the Dunleer library will soon be moving to a larger and more appropriate building which will allow the service to expand” he said.
“This is a matter I have been raising at with both the local authority and in the Dail over recent months as the service has clearly outgrown its current premises.
“The council confirmed to me in August that they were exploring options to improve on the delivery of the Dunleer Library Service as they were experiencing growth in both membership and usage of the Dunleer facility.
O’Dowd added “The welcome news was delivered this morning by my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, as part of the Building Acquisition Measure (BAM) of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
“Under the initiative, local authorities were asked by the department to engage with the local community to identify suitable vacant or derelict properties that could be taken into public ownership and converted for community use.
“This is great news for the Dunleer community, and I can’t wait to see the expansion of services along with a new community space that will greatly benefit the area into the future.
