Tender for Nenagh gaol
Progress being made on Martyrs Road plan
Tipperary Co Council is going to tender for works aimed at bringing Nenagh’s nineteenth century gaol block back into public use.
The council recently received a €500,000 grant for works on the three-story block, with match funding bringing the overall investment to €555,555. It is envisaged that the works will lead to opening the historic building beside Nenagh Courthouse as a visitor attraction.
The grant comes under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme and follows recent conservation works carried out to the windows of the adjacent Governor’s House as part of Nenagh’s ‘Historic & Cultural Quarter’ project, which is also involves public realm improvements around Nenagh Castle, O’Rahilly Street and Banba Square.
The council’s successful application for the grant was raised at last week’s meeting of Nenagh Municipal District, which also heard of progress with the ‘Centre of Excellence’ project on Martyrs Road.
Agreement has been reached with the property owners, and solicitors are drawing up contracts so that the council can acquire the site and proceed with the plan for a centre hosting a range of public agencies including Tipperary Energy Agency.
Last week’s meeting was informed that planning for the centre would be submitted through a Part 8 public consultation process in the last quarter of this year.
‘IS THERE A BETTER WAY?’
Cllr Séamie Morris was critical of the length of time it takes to bring projects to fruition, pointing out that both the gaol and energy building have been talked about for many years now. “Martyrs Road – we haven’t even signed legal documents yet,” he told last week’s meeting. “The Historic Quarter is nowhere near over the line yet.”
He said large sums of taxpayers’ money as well as thousands of hours of staff time are spent trying to bring projects past the first stage of the funding application process. Years can be spent on projects that might never be accepted, and applicants often find that their project is competing with another one elsewhere in the same county.
Cllr Morris believed that there must be a better way of delivering projects and suggested that municipal districts should take on the delivery in a manner similar to that of the old town councils. Such a move could save billions nationally. He wanted the council to write a letter to the relevant ministers over the situation.
District Administrator Rosemary Joyce understood this frustration but did not think the council should seek to change the funding model it is applying through, a move that could lead to further delays. Ms Joyce said the council would now be applying for category 1 funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) for the Historical & Cultural Quarter or the former Rialto cinema/Sheahan’s hardware building, where there are plans to open and new business and enterprise centre.
“The funding model is what it is,” Ms Joyce said.
Cllr Morris has since written to the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Mark Daly about the URDF and Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).
He wanted Senator Day to inquire about the percentage of both schemes in each county that have made it to completion since 2020.
“How much money was spent on schemes that did not make it to completion and what was the money spent on these failed projects by scheme?” Cllr Morris wanted to know.
“Why do schemes not make it to completion and what percentage make it to phase 1 but do not make it to completion, phase 2 and do not make it to completion, etc. How much money has been spent by the Government on schemes that do not make it to completion and by the county councils, broken down by county?
“Is there a better way of doing this?” Cllr Morris asked.