'Low carbon' status questioned of council's new Laois business centre

Laois councillors have questioned whether The Cube office is still actually going to be a low carbon business centre of excellence, after the first tenant was revealed to be a large job recruitment agency.

FRS Recruitment is first to move into the glass fronted office, bought by Laois County Council, leasing one of the three floors.

The Cube will officially open in March after a €1.62m taxpayer investment to refurbish and buy the vacant unfinished office on Tower Hill in Portlaoise.

Cllr Willie Aird is not happy that they were not informed of updates, blaming the lack of board meetings by the company, which includes the council Cathaoirleach as a board member.

“On the make-up of The Cube. I always understood when we gave the green light that it would be run in the same fashion as we own the building. I asked for an update and the chair said she didn’t know,” he said.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Thomasina Connell denied that she had said she did not know, also confirming however that no board meetings took place in the past six months.

Cllr Aird is not happy at the lack of communication on The Cube, run by an associated company of Laois County Council.

“I had insisted that the Cathaoirleach be on that board to be able to liaise back to us.

“I see that FRS has a floor taken. I didn’t understand that was the make-up. I understood it was to deal with climate action. To me it is working out completely differently. The right person was the Cathaoirleach to go to all the meetings,” Cllr Aird said.

Cllr Aisling Moran agreed.

“The Cube got €2million to be a low carbon building. Even though now it is not a low carbon building. What’s going on? Is it a low carbon building?” she asked.

The Director of Services Gerry Murphy gave a reason for having only two board meetings in 2022.

“The building was being refurbished. In 2023 there will be four meetings, each quarter,” he said.

He also defended the building’s use for low carbon businesses.

“It is important that the DAC has at least one anchor tenant. There will be three staff members employed by Laois County Council working under the Just Transition Programme on the ground floor, as well as energy awareness council staff. Community advice will be given on energy savings. The building has been finished to a high standard,” Mr Murphy said.

FRS has confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live why they chose to expand to Portlaoise. Read below.

'Portlaoise probably the best town for commuters' company expands to Laois

The office building was refurbished and bought as a turnkey development, at a cost of €1.62 million, with a €1.34 million grant from Enterprise Ireland using the Regional Development Enterprise Fund, and the remaining €280,000 paid by Laois County Council.