Council urged to complete works at football club

A LOCAL Election candidate is calling on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to complete works at a popular Southside sports club.

Tony Kelly, who is running for Fianna Fail in Dundrum, told how after discussions with the council in 2008, Rosemount/ Mulvey FC purchased two toilets at a cost of nearly

?¬2,000.

The toilets were to be used by the club’s male, female and children’s teams, and visitors.

According to Mr Kelly, two years later the council informed the club that funding of

?¬19,000 had been passed for the project that included connecting the toilets to the main sewage system.

However, later that year, the club was informed that the

?¬19,000 allocation had been reduced to

?¬14,000.

“Between May 2010 and July 2011, no fewer than eight meetings were held between representatives from the club and council officials,

? Mr Kelly said.

“In 2012, the toilets had not been connected and were being vandalised. The club decided they were no longer prepared to subject the teams and children to what they considered a serious health hazard and did not register the club for that year.

“In February 2013 the club, after meeting with the council on site again, was informed that the work to connect the toilets would be going ahead as soon as the ground dried out sufficiently but despite the hot summer of 2013, this work was never carried out.

“Finally, when this matter was brought to my attention on February 4 of this year, I immediately wrote to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council outlining the history of this sorry affair and asked that the matter be expedited.

“Subsequently, the council informed me that as the club had not renewed their registration, they ceased to be on the their list of teams registered to use the pitches at Rosemount.

“But what happened to the

?¬19,000 that was reduced to

?¬14,000 allocated for the works?

“If the money had been allocated from current funding and not utilised within that current year, it would have been lost to the project and would no longer exist.

?

Mr Kelly added: “When you consider that the pitches at Rosemount have been used by the club for over 40 years and, to the council’s credit have been maintained to a high level, it seems extraordinary that the council appears unwilling to accommodate Rosemount/Mulvey FC’s request to have their two toilets plumbed into the sewage system.”

A spokesperson for the council stated that as Rosemount/ Mulvey FC does not currently have an allocation on the pitches at Rosemount, the council is unsure of the current status of the club.

“If members of Rosemount/ Mulvey FC, or any of the other clubs using these pitches contact the council, we will be pleased to discuss the matter with them,

? the council indicated in a statement.