Deadline set to buy Portlaoise headquarters for Laois Civil Defence

In all of Portlaoise it has so far proven impossible to find a building suitable for a new Laois Civil Defence headquarters.

It is nine months since Laois County Council first revealed their problems with finding a building and a yard so that the county's volunteer rescue service can store all their equipment and carry out full training exercises.

The council had ended a lease agreement for an equipment depot in Mountmellick, in hopes to create a central base in Portlaoise.  The search is still proving fruitless to buy or failing that, to lease a premises.

Now Laois County Council has given themselves a deadline after which they will instead look to building a premises from the ground up on land they own themselves.

Director of Services Simon Walton told the February meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District more.

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"Our preference is to purchase but we will look at building a facility on lands we own. We are looking daily to see if a suitable premises emerges. 

"Obviously we are looking at our own portfolio of lands to see if a site may be suitable. If a building doesn't emerge on the market over the next four to six months, I can see a proposal coming before councillors where we suggest a site of our own. We are committed to providing a Civil Defence facility in Portlaoise suitable to the ongoing and future needs," Mr Walton said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley had asked him for an update and wants the work to start immediately to build a base.

"If there is nothing on the market, could we move the process along. There is so much uncertainty for the Civil Defence themselves and indeed for the community, they do such fantastic work. Could we progress a new building in the next three or four months, and get to the bones of where we are going?" she said.

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The council CEO John Mulholland had committed in the 2021 budget to create a central facility in Portlaoise for Laois Civil Defence. He said this would also offer a training facility and an opportunity to expand membership and enhance the service it gives to Laois.