Call for new library for Ballybay

Ballybay could not be left as the only town in County Monaghan not to have a dedicated library facility, Cllr Sean Gilliland (FG) told the January meeting of Monaghan Co Council.

There are plans to house a new library in the refurbished Ballybay Market House but the meeting was told that accurate dates for the commencement and completion of the library element could not be provided until all preparatory stages of the entire Market House project were completed.

Cllr Gilliland said he was disappointed not to see more progress as Ballybay was the only town in County Monaghan without a permanent library facility. He asked if financial constraints or a lack of Government funding were factors in the delay.

Director of Financial Services, Olga McConnon, said the County Council had been offered €1.2M under the Library Capital Fund for the Ballybay project, but its cost was estimated at €4M. A call under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund would open in the coming months, and the council planned to submit an application as 90% project funding was available from this source.

“We are progressing through the project management cycle and this has not slowed us down,” Ms McConnon assured. Hopefully, she added, things would align and the RRDF would open at the right time and they could soon progress the library project to tender stage.