A Monaghan councillor says he is opposed to the new €38m council buildings proposed for Monaghan Town. Last week, at the monthly meeting of Monaghan County Council, Fianna Fáil's PJ O'Hanlon also objected to the council continuing in their application for Part 8 planning permission on the new development. He was supported in his objections by three other councillors.
He told the Wider View programme it was not the time for the council to consider borrowing money for a term of 30 years when interest rates are higher. He also argued he cannot justify the significant spend when Monaghan roads are in a poor state and that the new site proposed at Rooskey would not have enough car parking spaces meaning the council would have the extra expense of paying long-term rent for additional spaces if the new building goes ahead.
"You know, to look to build offices in the current economic climate when we have one of the worst set of roads in the whole country but, we're away looking to build offices and put this cost onto the ratepayers," P J O'Hanlon told Northern Sound, "and not alone building offices but, we're going then to rent a car park because the space we have of 112 parking spaces isn't sufficient."
Sinn Féin Councillor Brian McKenna responded to Cllr O'Hanlon's remarks by saying council staff are spread out in several buildings, for which Monaghan County Council is spending between €800,000 to €1m a year in rent. He pointed out that two rate-paying councillors approved the plans and voted in favour of the Council proceeding with the planning application because they saw it as a necessary investment that would serve the county, its people and council staff, into the future.
Cllr McKenna said it was a "red herring" to suggest the council could better spend the money on road repairs and said councillors were aware from the outset of the process that new offices would have to be paid for exclusively by the council. Cllr McKenna accused those councillors opposed to the new offices of "making political capital" out of the issue leading up to local elections.
"That's a red herring," Cllr McKenna told Northern Sound, "and when that's introduced that's nothing but a red herring, and now to turn round and pretend they didn't know and we're very sorry but I can't put that on the ratepayers; they were told from day one so they should've objected and said 'Stop. Stop the train now before it goes any further'."
