COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
HEADED ITEM NO. H-I (16)
Palmerstown Community Centre
REPLY:
South Dublin County Council officials were invited by Palmerstown Community Council to attend a meeting on 27th April 2010. At that meeting, the Community Council informed the officials that it had engaged a private architect to advise on works required and layout options for the proposed community facility. The Council officials were asked for their views on various issues and advised the PCC accordingly.
The PCC was to arrange to meet again with the developer concerned to see if the matter could be progressed, and undertook to revert to SDCC following their meeting with the developer. There has been no contact between the PCC and SDCC until Monday 20th September, 2010.
The Council was informed by phone that a deal had been proposed by the developer that would secure the completion of the community facility at the shopping centre on condition that the Council would supply the furniture and fittings required. The caller, representing Palmerstown Community Council, indicated that if the Council made a commitment to supply the furniture, then the Community Council would make a significant financial contribution from their own funds towards the cost of the completion of the construction work required, and that the developer would contribute the balance.
The Council asked the Community Council to specify what they require and the associated costings / quotations. The Community Council promised to e-mail those details to the relevant official. When these details were submitted, they would be assessed, and it was hoped that the Council would be in a position to respond in a positive manner.
However, a full month passed, and the Palmerstown Community Council finally submitted a letter by e-mail on Friday 22nd October 2010 (see attachment).
The Community Council,.in its letter, states that it (PCC) “is putting a significant amount of its own funds into the completion of the Centre” .The letter goes on to say that “the Moriarty Group is committed to matching those funds and to proceed with the completion of the Project on condition that the other funders, i.e. the Community Council and the County Council give a commitment to meet their share of the costs.”
The letter does not, however, specify what the “significant funding” being provided by the PCC and matched by the Moriarty Group is.
The letter goes on to list a number of items - “ a combined heat / ventilation system, fire alarm system, industrial kitchen, demountable stage, canteen tables, chairs and equipment, hall seating for 200 people, ICT equipment & furniture incl. computers, printers enabling internet access for the public and general office furnishings, equipment and the likes to be in the region of €120,000 - €130,000. We, therefore, request a grant of €100,000 from South Dublin County Council towards these costs.”
This request is made without any individual costings or quotations being supplied. Nor does it say how a combined heat / ventilation system could be construed to be part of a furniture and fittings package. The Council is being asked to commit to a grant of €100,000 towards these items, without the necessary details and without any indication as to what day-to–day uses and functions would be delivered by the centre.
The letter goes on to say “Additionally, we respectfully request the maximum grant by South Dublin County Council towards operational / management costs of the Community Centre for Year 1 and Year 2. We understand that this is currently €60,000, but we think that we are entitled to the maximum Grant, particularly if it were to be in excess of €60,000.”
The P.C.C. has asked for S.D.C.C.s written commitment in this regard over the next two years for fittings that are not costed, for uses that are not specified, to be run by staff whose number and roles are not even mentioned in the letter.
The Council is keen to resolve this matter in a positive way and has attended every meeting to which it has been invited but it is not in a position to make the commitments required of it by this letter unless or until the issues raised above have been satisfactorily addressed.