Kilkenny County Council will now not be buying 17 acres on the Kells Road.
Councillors had agreed in September to approve the borrowing of up to 3.5million euro to purchase the facility previously known as St Patrick’s Centre, just outside the city centre.
The complex is currently owned by Aurora, a community based service providing supports to people with intellectual disabilities. The campus includes eight residential buildings with shared cooking facilities, a period building with a dormitory to the rear, a swimming pool, a sports hall and a training centre.
The plan was for the local authority to buy it and initially provide temporary accommodation for people from Ukraine for up to five years during which time a more long-term masterplan for the site would be worked on.
However, yesterday the Council executive was informed by the Technical Working Group (Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth, the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, Department of the Taoiseach and City & County Managers Association) that the project was deemed no longer viable.
Director of Services with the Ukrainian Response Unit at Kilkenny County Council Fiona Deegan has been outlining to KCLR News’ Edwina Grace why – hear the conversation in full here;
