Purchase of FCA Hall for consideration under Government funding

The Fermoy MD has elected to put forward the FCA Hall in Mitchelstown as a candidate for government funding to purchase the building.

Under the rules of the fund, the ‘Building Acquisition Measure’, Cork County Council can put forward projects for government funding of up to €400,000. However, the council can only submit two such projects from the whole county under the scheme.

The suggestion to put forward the FCA Hall, which is owned by the Office of Public Works (OPW), was made at a meeting last week by Cllr Frank O’Flynn. It had also previously been discussed by Cllr Deirdre O’Brien with the municipal district officer. With the agreement of all members, the district office will now submit the proposal to county council management. The OPW confirmed to TheAvondhu that they are liaising with the council on "acquisition options."

Cllr O’Brien confirmed to TheAvondhu last December that the OPW had quoted the council €90,000 to purchase the building. Furthermore, a study showed that another €250,000 would be needed to bring it up to standard. At that cost, the council declined the offer.

The FCA Hall was the subject of discussion in the Oireachtas earlier in the month. On foot of a query from Minister David Stanton, Minister Patrick O’Donovan said that it was the only OPW-owned property in the Cork East Constituency that was vacant.

The minister confirmed that the property was offered to sale or lease to Cork County Council but that they declined the offer. He also said there were ‘complex title issues’ with the former military barracks that need to be examined before the property can be ‘disposed’ of i.e. sold on the private market. As a matter of OPW policy, no property is disposed of until there is certainty that there is no alternative State use for it. In addition, the OPW has provided a list of its vacant properties and sites to the Departments managing the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine.

'BIG SHORTAGE' OF SPACE

After the council declined to buy or lease the FCA Hall, the next course of action was to ask the OPW to lease it directly to Mitchelstown Community Council. This is something the OPW would theoretically consider, providing the community group can show that they have the means to insure, maintain and manage it. The OPW have recently entered into an agreement of this nature with Carrigtwohill Community Counci.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn is heavily in favour of the acquisition, saying that there is a ‘big shortage’ of space in the town, referencing Forrest Hall in particular.

“I keep getting contacted by people saying they can’t get a meeting room. The FCA Hall is centrally located, and the condition of the building is very good. It could provide extra space for St Joseph’s Foundation, or for a Men’s Shed.”

His colleague Cllr O’Brien agreed, saying that the substantial green area behind the building would be of good use to Age Friendly or to Bright Sparks childcare, and believe that the proposal would make for a ‘strong application’.

The military barracks was occupied by the Department of Defence from 1934 until October 2014 when it was handed back to the OPW.