Council HQ extension not needed - Tóibín

Meath County Council has been urged to rethink proposals for a €26million extension to its Buvinda House headquarters.

A substantial number of council staff have applied to take part in a hybrid working trial, according to Cllr Emer Tóibín who said that if the trial is successful, there would be no need for the extension.

She has also asked the local authority to get an estimate for cost of works required to make the Council Chamber at the old offices in Railway Street technically equipped to hold remote as well on-site meetings.

Cllr Toibin has expressed her opposition to the council's proposals to build a new extension to its Buvinda House headquarters.

"What we do know is that an extension would cost the taxpayer upwards on €26 million. Is that not an excessive proposed spend in a time of massive financial pressure on so many? In a time of widespread housing distress and uncertainty in our county? In a time of growing homelessness. With little or no forseeable improvement in sight?

"I have asked the Council to engage the necessary expertise to cost the works required to make the current Council Chamber technically equipped to hold remote as well on-site meetings."

At a recent Municipal Council meeting, Cllr Toibin was told officials would come back to her with a costing.

"I look forward to getting that answer.," she said.

At that meeting she had asked how much it would cost to upgrade IT infrastructure and facilities at the existing Council Chamber.

The Council responded that it had been holding meetings in the Solstice Arts Centre since June 2020 due to restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, as the Covid-19 restrictions were eased and the Solstice Arts Centre returned to a full time-table of events, it was no longer suitable for the Council to continue to hold the monthly meetings in the Solstice Arts Centre.

The councillors were surveyed regarding their preference for in-person, hybrid or zoom only meetings and the preferred option was for hybrid meetings. The executive reviewed the facilities available in both County Hall and Buvinda House and it was deemed that Buvinda House was best suited to accommodate both council meetings and other statutory meetings.

As the proposal for the Council Chamber was deemed unsuitable for modern meetings, the upgrade works were never fully costed, although initial conversations during the feasibility investigations with contractors indicated excessive costs would be incurred.

The meeting room in Buvinda has been fully equipped with the most up to date technology to accommodate hybrid meetings to ensure full participation in council meetings by all elected members whether they attend in person or remotely.