Laois County Council accused of 'stupid' land sale to huge company

A hot row erupted at the March meeting of Laois County Council over accusations of a "stupid" land sale.

One Laois Fine Gael councillor has been opposed by every other councillor in a request to view a contract on the sale of industrial land in 2018 for almost €1 million that brought a major new factory to Laois.

Cllr Aisling Moran has slammed it as "a stupid decision" by Laois County Council, along with the inclusion of a five year option to buy an adjacant site for just over €1million, to encourage the factory to expand. The sale was approved by Laois County Councillors a year before Cllr Moran was elected.

"This is not monopoly money. This is a stupid decision to give away land at that cost. If it's not your money the same care is not taken," Cllr Moran claimed at the March council meeting.

The Director of Services for Finance Gerry Murphy rejected her claim.

"Your remarks are not acceptable. The options are that you sit down and make an agreement. If you were to sit down, Glanbia would be somewhere else, you wouldn't have accepted the terms," he said.

"I would have," Cllr Moran replied.

The buyers in question were Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd and Leprino Foods. They jointly bought a five acre serviced site from Laois County Council for €925,000, and built a mozzerella cheese factory which now has 120 employees.

Interinational food company Leprino is now buying out Glanbia's share of the Laois factory but can still take up the offer to buy six hectares more, up to 2024 and extendable until 2029 after which the offer expires.

Cllr Moran had tabled a motion asking for a copy of the contract. It was seconded by Cllr James Kelly, but he withdrew his seconder, after he heard how making a contract public could damage future job prospects.

Mr Murphy had stated that contracts are signed weekly by Laois County Council, from sale agreements to construction and rental agreements. He said that some are commercially sensitive, and some on the expectation they will not be made public.

"You could by passing this motion affect future agreements with individuals. If it is passed, we will have to advise Glanbia beforehand, and take legal advice," Mr Murphy said.

Cllr Moran claimed the land option was left permanently open.

"This is not about Glanbia or EU Cheese, it's about a contract drawn up by Laois County Council and signed by councillors. The part I have a problem with is it's an open ended contract. You can buy it at the same price in 50 years. There is no clawbacks, they can buy and sell it. That is how stupid these contracts are," Cllr Moran claimed.

Mr Murphy said she "made up the facts", and said he had already spoke at length to her to explain the deal before the meeting.

"The agreement option is to buy six hectares to expand or develop. They can't just decide to sell it off. They can't wait 10 or 20 or 50 years. I did advise you of that," he said.

Other councillors defended the sale including Cllr Paddy Bracken.

"We were fully au fait with what went on. I can't understand every time we come in there's a query. Here's a council trying to do its best. You are here every month with a finger pointed at whatever official it is. It looks bad, you have painted something underhand. If you take your school of thinking, we'd be growing buachalláns up there," he said.

Cllr Moran insisted that the price on the optioned land should be higher, and a profit should have been made on the park.

"We're not a private enterprise, jobs were created," Cllr Bracken answered.

Cllr Willie Aird described the discussion as "goddamn rubbish".

"Junction 17 is a credit to the council and the members that were here that backed Pat McDonagh," he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said however that she is concerned at the offer rolling into 2029 and would it stop then, to which Mr Murphy confirmed it would.

"It will be our intention to approach the new owners to find out their intention. We had already approached Glanbia last year. It will finish in 2029 one way or the other, and if not used it comes back to Laois County Council," the finance director said.

Cllr Padraig Fleming who is a former Glanbia employee, said the factory employs at least 120, with 40 to 50 haulage jobs, as well as paying many farmers for their milk. Cllr Paschal McEvoy described the land deal as "water tight, perfect".

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald accused Cllr Moran of "dragging us into the gutter".

"You seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. There's nothing wrong with that contract, you've been told that. We want to see the county progress," she said.

"What is the price of a job? There are counties where Glanbia would have got land for nothing. I'm old enough to remember unemployment, now we have to sell ourselves," Cllr Ollie Clooney said.

The bitter exchanges were described as "ferocious" by Cllr Thomasina Connell, Cathaoirleach who had asked councillors to stop shouting and talking over each other.

"This narrative, this vitriol, how can we do anything only down ourselves, it's absolutely ferocious," she said.

Just back from a St Patrick's Day trip to Williamstown County in Tennessee, USA, she compared their success's to their twin county, Laois.

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"It's the seventh wealthiest county in America. We went to meet their Chamber of Commerce, to learn and get tips and see what people say about us. They said people look online, at local media and ask other companies. If anyone asks Glanbia, I wonder what they'd say. I asked about their local paper, they say it says the greatest place to live is Tennessee. What comes out of our chamber, what is our story? We are creating this. It's been difficult for me to chair this meeting today. I try to give everybody a fair bounce. If you keep shouting it is disrespectful to the people who voted for us. A disgraceful carry-on. This is the end of it today," Cllr Connell said.

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She added that Leprino's New York based director was formally invited to the Laois events on St Patrick's Day in New York. 

"This is an absolutely brilliant company worldwide, delivering over 120 jobs here. I hope they see the positives in Laois, the workforce, the logistics. There is no better place to do business," the Cathaoirleach added. 

A vote was then held for or against the motion, with 17 councillors rejecting it against Cllr Moran's one vote for.

J17 National Enterprise Park beside the M7 motorway, was bought and developed with roads and services by Laois County Council over the past five years. Some seven sites are now sold to different companies, creating a potential 470 jobs.