COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

MOTION NO. 17

MOTION: Councillor B. Bonner

Cathaoirleach's Business

This Committee calls on the Manager to ensure that that the Quarryvale Family Resource Centre is supported through it's current difficulties in relation to it's premises and enabled to continue with it's valuable work in the Quarryvale area.

REPORT:

In the mid to late 1990s the Council agreed to lease two disused shopping  units in the Greenfort Shopping Centre which were incorporated with other Council owned and controlled units to facilitate a community resource centre. This was funded by a European project in which the council was involved  under  the RECITE 11 Community Initiative funding programme. This project continues today as the Quarryvale Community Resource Centre. The lease was completed  on the 22nd of January 2001 and was to run for a period of 10 years. The lease rent formed part of the match funding that the Council was obliged to provide to draw down the EU funding. 

The lease expired on the 22nd of January 2011 and the Council has been over holding on the lease since then in that it is not in a position to give vacant possession to the owner. Because of this the Council has continued to pay the rent to the landlord and 15k is due in respect of this year.

More than 2 years ago the board of the QCRC was informed that the lease had expired and that the Council was not in a position to continue funding the lease rent because of straitened financial circumstances. They were advised to negotiate a new lease with the owner who expressed a willingness to enter into discussions. It was understood at that time that an alternative funding source for the rent was a possibility. 

The Council is not in a position to continue funding the lease and it does not do so for similar community resource centres in the county. The issue has been left in abeyance since the end date of the lease to give time and space for a new lease to be agreed between the centre board and the owner. It is not considered unreasonable that the centre pay the lease rent as part of their normal overheads.  It now appears that no discussions have taken place between the QCRC and the owner.   

Accordingly the Council has no option at this stage but to demand possession of the Unit in order that it might be returned to the owner. It is hoped that a new lease can be put in place even at this late stage to facilitate the continued functioning of the centre.

It is acknowledged that the Quarryvale Family Resource Centre provides a very valuable service in the Quarryvale area of Clondalkin.