High Court challenge hits progress on IDA factory

Progress on construction of the new advance manufacturing factory at Marlinstown appears to be on hold, as a result of a legal challenge by one of the firms that tendered for the contract to build the facility.

The revelation was made by Cllr Andrew Duncan at the December meeting of Westmeath County Council, the last before Christmas.

Contacted by The Westmeath Examiner for comment, the IDA has confirmed that an issue has arisen. An IDA spokesperson said: “IDA Ireland can confirm that an application for a judicial review regarding the tender process for the construction of the Advanced Manufacturing unit on the IDA Business Park at Marlinstown, Mullingar has been lodged with the High Court.”

The spokesperson continued: “As this is a matter before the High Court, IDA Ireland is precluded from making any further comment at this stage.”

Cllr Duncan, under Any Other Business at the council meeting, said he had not had time to notify the cathaoirleach in advance of his intention to raise the issue, as he had just received information about the issue.

He said he has been led to understand that the tender process was completed in November and that the IDA had come to the stage of recommending a preferred contractor.

“But I now understand that there is an issue with that,” he said, stating that he has been informed that the third placed contractor has now gone to the High Court seeking a judicial review in order to have the whole process set aside and a new one initiated. County chief executive, Pat Gallagher, said the council was not aware of the issue, but that it could lodge an inquiry with the IDA.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Duncan said he was disappointed over the delay as Mullingar has been so long waiting to have the advance factory provided: “It’s a bit of a setback in terms of timing: the fact is that I initially put that motion calling to have that factory built in 2018, so it’s gone on nearly six, seven years at this stage.”

It was in November 2022 that planning permission was granted for what the IDA has described as an Advanced Building Solution consisting of office and light industrial/production spaces.

The premises is to measure 51,000 square feet. Already, the project is somewhat behind schedule, as the IDA had anticipated appointing a contractor in the second quarter of last year “with a view to commencing the development shortly thereafter”.

In a presentation to members of Westmeath County Council in mid-2021, IDA officials said their target was to attract 25 new employers to Westmeath and Offaly over the three years up to 2024, and to facilitate that drive, it planned the new Mullingar building, and also one for Athlone.

The officials said that as well as this first planned unit, there were plans that down the line, they would work with Westmeath County Council towards provision of a further building in Mullingar.