Galway County Council has set out ambitious plans to expand and retrofit its County Hall headquarters at the September Plenary Meeting this week, announcing its intention to consolidate all staff and services under one roof by 2031, following an extension estimated to cost €61.8 million.
The proposal, presented by chief executive Liam Conneally and director of services for corporate services and rural, community and tourism development and integration, Michael Owens, follows an in-depth feasibility study that examined office accommodation requirements and long-term cost efficiency.
The preferred option, a 4,438m² extension combined with a deep retrofit of the existing County Hall, will, according to Owens, enable the Council to terminate costly leases across three separate properties, including a property in Ballybane and Island House in the city, saving more than €505,000 annually in rent. At the feasibility stage, the project is costed at €61.8 million, excluding VAT.
Severe shortage of office space
Michael Owens outlined the rationale, citing a severe shortage of suitable office space in Galway, with just two viable buildings identified, neither able to meet the Council’s sustainability and space needs. The extension will not only future-proof the Council’s operations but also accommodate up to 200 additional staff.
The proposal sparked a wide-ranging debate among councillors, but ultimately culminated in quick approval from the local representatives.
Cllr Michael Regan (FF ) reflected on earlier battles over accommodation, recalling the controversial proposal to move the County Council offices to Cluain Mhuire in the 1990s. “Ballybane and Island House have served their time. Now we will finally have a building with all our staff under one roof.” He formally proposed progressing to the next stage.
Cllr Tomás O’Curraoin (Ind ) praised the foresight, saying, “I’m very impressed by the vision in this presentation. If there had been such a vision for other things years ago, such as the outer city bypass, we might have solved that problem years ago.
“Renting is dead money. Management cannot run an area while moving from point A to point B to point C. This is a great vision.”
Costs
Financial concerns regarding the cost and how it could impact the local authority were raised by Cllr Shaun Cunniffe (II ), who asked: “What will our accounts look like each year if we go ahead with this? Will it stifle services going forward? How sure are we of the figure when building costs are rising?
“I think it is a good idea, it might be the best idea in the world, but how will we afford it? I don’t think there is a building in this country that hasn’t gone up by 50 per cent in costs in recent years, and looking at how our colleagues in the city council are getting on, I wonder just how sure we are of the figure for this?”
Others emphasised staff wellbeing and transparency. Cllr Declan Kelly (II ) said, “I am very supportive of staff wellbeing. I have every confidence that everything will be done transparently.” Similarly, Cllr Eileen Mannion (FG ) asked about staff consultation, while Owens confirmed engagement had already begun and would continue throughout the process.
The challenges of retrofitting an active workplace were raised by Cllr Jimmy McClearn (FG ), “We cannot have people working in an active building site… staff will have to vacate.”
Cllr Mary Hoade stressed urgency in enacting the plans as soon as possible “Some of our staff are working in very difficult conditions. We need to act now.”
Planning for the future
Several councillors urged even greater ambition. Cllr Declan Geraghty (II ) asked whether the proposed extension would be large enough if staff numbers continued to grow: “We need to think bigger and plan for the future.”
The mood in the chamber was overwhelmingly supportive, with Cathaoirleach Cllr David Collins (FG ) noting that the design stage would refine the scope and costs: “The overall costings are just estimates right now. If you build it, they will come.”
Cllr Noel Thomas (II ) also suggested exploring revenue potential from the County Hall’s lower car park, while others linked the project to Galway’s wider infrastructural needs, from transport corridors to housing.
Summing up, CEO Liam Conneally thanked members for their support: “We really need to move on with this. The project will deliver lifetime savings, improve staff wellbeing, and align with national sustainability targets.”
Discussions closed with a strong statement from Cllr Declan Kelly, who said, “The icing on the cake of this proposal for me is that it will finally put to bed the inebriated idea that Galway City Council and Galway County Council should unite.”
With cross-party backing secured, the next phase will involve appointing a design team and project managers to guide delivery. If completed on schedule, Galway County Council will open the doors of its upgraded, consolidated civic campus by 2031.
This article is funded by Comisiún na Meán under its Local Democracy and Court Reporting Schemes.
