Council investigates planning status of Aras Tailteann

Meath County Council has confirmed it is investigating an "unauthorised development" at the Meath County Board headquarters at Aras Tailteann in Navan. The council received a complaint after the findings of a safety audit carried out at the Pairc Tailteann stadium appeared in the Meath Chronicle two weeks ago, revealing the extent of the public safety and planning permission issues there. The safety report was critical of the new meeting rooms, called 'Aras Tailteann', for which no fire safety or planning certificates were supplied. This weekend, the Meath County Board will meet for its annual convention in the 'unauthorised' structure, which cost a reported €125,000, and which is now under investigation by planning officials. "Meath County Council can confirm that a complaint has been lodged with the planning department regarding an unauthorised development at Pairc Tailteann, Navan," a county council spokesperson said. "The council is currently investigating the planning status of the subject of the complaint. Due process will be followed and statutory enforcement notices will be issued, if necessary," she added. "The council has nothing further to add at this stage. Enforcement protocol will follow - ie, inspect, issue a warning letter and await a response within four weeks. On receipt of a response, the council will consider the next step, which may include issue of an enforcement notice." The 'Aras', the October safety audit said, "has a range of serious fire safety deficiencies", has an extremely long, dead-end corridor not provided with fire resisting separation and "there is no alternative exit from the large meeting room". At the time of the report, it also had a "fire alarm panel that indicated a no power signal" that needed to be addressed as a "matter of urgency". Meath County Secretary Cyril Creavin said that, when inspectors arrived, the building was only under construction and was a "work in progress at the time" but it found its way into the audit. "All the issues are being addressed, even though it is still a work in progress. We are awaiting both fire and planning (certs) and we aim to address all the issues at the annual convention," he said. Mayor of Navan Cllr Anton Mc Cabe said he has "grave concerns" for public safety at Pairc Tailteann. "The report highlights that there are fire hazards, public safety issues, and little or no structure in place for crowd control," he said. "The report also identifies problems in the structure of the main stand, dressing rooms with untreated wooden ceilings, and the use of gas heaters that pose a potential fire hazard, among other concerns." Cllr Mc Cabe said "while acknowledging that an undertaking has been given that elements of the report will be dealt with", he still had questions on "how exactly development at the stadium (Aras Tailteann) was carried out without the required planning conditions, and the in breach of laws that apply to health and safety". The mayor added: "I hope no activities will take place at the stadium until this has been fully addressed." He went on: "Regarding Pairc Tailtean itself, it is the biggest GAA stadium in the county and can still accommodate 10,500 people at any one time. The health and safety of 10,500 people can not be diluted in any way. "The findings contained in the GAA safety audit simply have to be implemented in full before there is a risk to any man woman or child attending a game, and before another meeting is held in Aras Tailteann."