Fingal to decide what to do with former Credit Union building

Fingal County Council has obtained Ballisk House in Donabate, the former site of Donabate Credit Union.

The news follows a question tabled by Fianna Fail councillor Adrian Henchy at a Local Area Committee meeting earlier this month.

Henchy asked officials if the council could continue efforts to try and reverse the decision made by Progressive Credit Union to close the branch.

The Credit Union said it made the decision to close the branch last summer due to the “decreasing number of members,” and “the cost of staffing.”

Henchy said Ballisk House is “iconic and beautifully designed,” and said if the Progressive Credit Union decided to sell the property, the council should give “serious consideration” to purchasing the house.

He said that the local authority should acquire the site “with a view to preserving it and to give serious thought to converting it into an employment business enterprise hub in order to meet the future needs of a fast-growing area.”

Earlier this month, the Director of Economic Enterprise, Tourisim and Cultural Department of Fingal County Council, confirmed that it had completed the purchase of Ballisk House.

In response to the news, Henchy said: “While the closure of the Progressive Credit Union was a major blow to our local community, this is a positive outcome in that the building and site which was delivered by our local community many years ago now rightfully returns to our local community.

“The coming weeks and months will see firmer plans put in place for the future potential use of the building for our local community.

“My thanks to Fingal County Council for the diligent work in getting this over the line and for the support of my peninsula colleague councillor Paul Mulville who has also strongly supported this campaign at every opportunity we got within Fingal County Council.”

Mulville said that despite the Credit Union he was “delighted” to see the building in the council’s hands.

Sale of council-owned lands to the then Donabate Credit Union was made in 1995 to allow for the building of Ballisk House.

This was a full sale of the land to the credit union and the council did not insert any conditions or buy back clauses on the sale of the land at that time.

The decision to close the credit union was met with criticism from local residents councillors last year.

Henchy said at the time that the decision was “shocking,” and the Progressive Credit Union was in a “serious breach of the good faith bestowed upon them by the local Donabate Portrane community.”