Louth CE says Council in not responsible for Halliday Mills

Louth County Council Chief Executive, Joan Martin, told councillors at the local authority October meeting, that Louth County Council is not responsible for Halliday Mills and that it would be “entirely inappropriate” for officials to attend a meeting with tenants, the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Cooperative Housing Ireland (CHI) and councillors.

Cllr Kevin Meenan raised the issue at the October meeting, where he told members that ongoing issues at Halliday Mills had been discussed at the recent Dundalk Municipal District meeting. Cllr Meean said that he wanted to organise a meeting with council officials, councillors, CHI, and a group of residents, to look at the ongoing issues.

Director of Social Development, Mr Paddy Donnelly, told the meeting that he had already said at the municipal district meeting that it was a matter for CHI. He said that there was a meeting held between CHI and tenants on 4 October and an invitation had been sent to Louth County Council. He said that it was inappropriate for the Council to attend and instructed staff accordingly.

Mr Donnelly stressed that the responsibility for Halliday Mills lies with the AHB but added that they engage with them “on a daily basis” but that “ in the main, the maintenance and management of the site is a matter for CHI.”
He further added that there is extensive work going on in the background and that there has been a number of evictions from the property.

Cllr Meenan said that he would continue to organise a meeting. CE Joan Martin responded, saying that the Council has no position in Halliday Mills and are not responsible for it and that “it would be entirely inappropriate for us to attend the meeting when there is nothing that we can do in relation to it.”

Cllr Maeve Yore told the meeting that she believed that they have a duty of care to tenants but Mr Donnelly disagreed, saying that in law they do not have a duty of care and that it lies with CHI.

Cllr Emma Coffey said that Halliday Mills was a “state of the art” complex and that the issues there come down to a couple of individuals, but added that the Council do not have a role in this. Her comments were supported by Cllr Kevin Callan.