Department?s decentralised office plans are lodged

Offices for the Department of Education which will be based at former site of Penn`s factory on the Lynn Road in Mullingar are expected to be completed by the end of next year said a spokesman for the Office of Public Works yesterday morning.

The Department of Education is already advertising for two senior positions on the public jobs website as part of plans for decentralisation of the government department.

The Department is currently seeking to appoint two Assistant Secretaries in Athlone and/or Mullingar and the appointees will be responsible for a wide range of services including forward financial planning, budgets and human resources. The jobs boast a salary scale of €135,000 to €154,000.

The actual start date for the 9,000 square metre building now hangs on the progress of planning permission which was officially sought by The Macquarie Partnership Ltd from Westmeath County Council last Wednesday.

Plans will be on public view for the statutory two months and the council will have a further month to consider the application and make any changes they deem necessary.

Administrative Officer with the County Council, Eamon Brennan said that this month would see a series of meetings with county departments in respect of the provision of roads, water and the fire service for the building which is to eventually house 321 employees.

He also said that the council had given architectural company McCullough Mulvin the remit to make the building a “feature” piece and said that it would be designed as a landmark on the road into Mullingar.

“While the building should be integrated with its surroundings, the idea is to make it a structure of note as it will be a large scale building and will be very visible from the road,” Mr Brennan said.

McCullough Mulvin has recently been responsible for the refurbishment of Sligo and Blackrock Town Halls and are currently refurbishing the old Debtor`s Prison.