Fears that Mayo's Mary Robinson Centre building is deteriorating

FEARS have been expressed about the building that's to become home to the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina deteriorating before it even opens.

Dialogue around funding and fit-out to progress its opening is continuing, members of Mayo County Council were informed in the annual Local Government Auditors Report.

The council is engaged in a project to transform Victoria House into the Mary Robinson Centre. The overall cost is €5.3 million, excluding fit-out costs.

Councillor Peter Flynn requested clarification on where the project is going and where funding is coming from, commenting that it is still sitting in 'limbo land'.

And Councillor Michael Loftus expressed his fears that something needs to be done to deal with it as the building is deteriorating, and it will cost more if something isn't done.

The report set out how committed income sources include funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Gaeltacht (DCHG) for €2m, of which €1.74m has been received to date towards the construction phase, and €1.1m from the Mary Robinson Foundation/Community Group, of which €300,000 has been received to date. The remaining €250,000 from the DCHG grant is allocated towards the fit-out.

The report sets out how during 2024, the council spent approximately €125,000 and allocated funding of €730,000 from reserves to the project. There is a closing debit balance on the project at the end of 2024 of €2.24m (€2.85m in 2023).

In response the council's chief executive said Mayo County Council remains in dialogue with the Mary Robinson Foundation in respect of the funding and fit-out and efforts will continue in this regard to facilitate the opening of the facility.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme