‘Unacceptable’ delays to Moate station's roof repairs

By Rebekah O'Reilly

The cost of repairing the roof at Moate Railway Station has been estimated at around €55,000 - but the council said it can't carry out the work because it has no funding available for the project.

At a recent meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, Cllr Vinny McCormack sought an update on plans to repair the roof of the historic building.

Council management said an initial quotation had been obtained for the refurbishment works, but that the project could not move forward at present due to the absence of an identified funding source. The council said it was also seeking clarity on ownership of the structure and responsibility for its future maintenance.

Cllr McCormack said the matter had already been delayed for too long and called for urgent action.

“We’re now eight months in. It’s not good enough, we need to do it urgently,” he said.

District Engineer Willie Ryan said some measures had been taken to protect the building, but highlighted the challenges involved in maintaining it.

“The contractor has waterproofed the building,” Mr Ryan said.

He said the building was an Irish Rail structure, and questioned the level of investment required in a building that is currently not in use.

“It’s a huge chunk of money for a building that has no use,” he said.

Council management said it was continuing to engage with the relevant parties on the station's ownership and maintenance responsibilities, while alternative options that could provide a satisfactory outcome at a lower cost were also being considered.

The latest update follows concerns raised earlier this year by the Moate Railway Station Group over the condition of the building's roof.

Joe Nestor, chair of Moate Railway Station Group, previously said rainwater had been entering the station building for more than six months after roof tiles were stolen last October.

Mr Nestor said the group had been frustrated by the lack of progress on permanent repairs, despite the building’s listed status.

“The council has still not fixed the roof,” he said. “They’ve done absolutely nothing.”

He said temporary protection for the roof was only put in place after the group threatened to raise the matter publicly.

“The next day lads arrived and put plastic on the roof,” he said. “That was the extent of it, they didn’t do any more.”

Mr Nestor also criticised delays and confusion around the repair process, saying the group had previously been told works would be completed before Christmas but that no substantial repairs had taken place.