Mayo TD launches petition against €2.15m council chamber ‘vanity project’
A petition has been launched following news that Mayo County Council has agreed to borrow €2.15 million to refurbish the council chamber and the ground floor of the Áras an Chontae headquarters.
The project has been described as a “vanity project divorced from the reality facing families and businesses across the county” by Mayo TD Paul Lawless, who has also asked the Public Accounts Committee to call on Mayo County Council to answer questions over the proposal.
Deputy Lawless started the petition on Change.org, describing the amount as an “extraordinary amount of money at a time when we have a huge housing crisis” and saying the plans “reflect the wrong priorities.”
On the afternoon of Thursday, February 26, the petition had 130 signatures.
In it, Deputy Lawless calls on Mayo County Council to: pause the refurbishment, publish a clear and detailed cost-benefit analysis, hold public consultation before borrowing the money, and prioritise investment in housing delivery, disability-friendly facilities, inclusive disability and sensory playgrounds, and the reduction of commercial rates for local businesses.
Deputy Lawless confirmed he has formally written to the Public Accounts Committee, requesting that Mayo County Council be called before it to explain what cost-benefit analysis justifies borrowing €2.15 million for the refurbishment.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Deputy Lawless said that the local authority faces many pressing priorities, and refurbishing its headquarters is not one of them.
He added that the project was not included in any elected members’ manifesto pledges.
Deputy Lawless continued, saying it was wrong to present the proposal to the public as a necessity.
He acknowledged the need to make the space accessible, improve IT facilities for meetings in the chamber, and carry out some minor improvements, but added that these would not cost €2 million.
He believes the proposal should be scrapped, arguing that all improvements could be “achieved in a very modest way.”
“This is purely cosmetic, this is a refurbishment. There are builders in Mayo that would happily come in and put in a lift and take out the two or three steps,” he said.
Deputy Lawless also highlighted the shortage of builders in the county, which is slowing housing and construction projects.
He expressed his confusion at the plan to divert a “chunk” of these builders from building homes to refurbishing “fancy seats for councillors”, and added that the chamber is used around once a month for meetings and remains empty in August while the council adjourns for the summer.
“No matter what way you look at this [proposal] it is wrong. The [chamber] itself is fine, there’s something quite historic about it,” he said.
The Aontú TD criticised councillors from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for what he described as a double standard, saying they “regularly insist there is no alternative to raising local property tax and commercial rates, yet appear remarkably creative when it comes to finding millions for refurbishing their own surroundings.”
“When ordinary people are told to accept higher taxes, higher rates, and fewer services, the message is restraint, but when councillors turn their attention inward, restraint suddenly becomes optional,” he said.
Deputy Lawless said he first proposed the refurbishment in 2024 while serving as a councillor, with an estimated cost of €700,000, and that government councillors accused him of “exaggeration and sensationalism.”
“What turned out to be sensational was not the criticism, but the cost itself,” he said.
He warned the €2.15 million figure could rise to €3 million when factoring in inflation. The payback rate on the loan is 3.25pc over 30 years.
Deputy Lawless highlighted the case of Galway City Council, where a chamber refurbishment initially estimated at €200,000 rose to €450,000.
He is urging the public to sign the petition and to contact their local councillors directly, and respectfully, asking them to also oppose the plans.
“Public money should serve public priorities,” Deputy Lawless added. “Not political comfort.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.