€75k to rent ground floor at civic centre for five years

The ground floor of the Ballyfermot Civic Centre will cost €75,000 to rent for five years while repairs on the roof take place.

Dublin South Citizens Information Service has been granted a five-year short-term letting of a ground-floor unit in Ballyfermot Civic Centre while repairs take place.

The rental figure per annum will be €15,096 and other charges will be paid alongside the monthly rent such as waste collection and taxes.

Councillor Vincent Jackson noted concerns about the works needed to maintain the Civic Centre and asked for the council’s help in covering costs.

Cllr Jackson said: “There’s some major structural works needed to be completed. The city council has had to vacate a huge part of the building.

“With the pending estimates here, I hope the city council are going to provide a substantial amount of money to rectify that because all our staff had to be moved from that part of the building.

Ballyfermot Civic Centre is a building used by both Dublin City Council as an area office and as a community centre by the local area.

Staff inside the DCC area office within the centre were moved to parts of the community section due to health and safety concerns.

The building was opened in 2001, and councillors have made clear that it has been expensive to maintain over the years.

“For a relatively new building, it doesn’t say an awful lot for some of the workmanship of the time.

“Between that and changing the smoke alarm last year at a cost of €600,000, it’s telephone money type of stuff.

“I’m just saying I would hope we can get on top of the works that are needed here.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.