'Poison for rodents' all over Bagenalstown Fire Station as Council pitch for new facility
'Brand new fire station at a more strategic location...'
A councillor has hit out at the "disappointing" standards of Bagenalstown Fire Station saying the staff deserve better.
Cllr Andy Gladney has said he attended a recent opening evening at the station and found floor covering ripped up and stuck with duct tape with "poison for rodents all over the place".
"These men deserve better. The kitchen in it is very, very small," he added.
It comes after Carlow Live revealed last month that the €450,000 refurbishment previously granted "may not fully cover the extent of the works required to ensure the structural integrity of the building".
A site survey has been conducted of Bagenalstown Fire Station which discovered "many structural deficiencies" within the building.
Director of Services at the Council, Dan McInerney, has said they are going to make a case to Government for a brand new fire station for Bagenalstown that could be "strategically located to the motorway and equipped to respond to accidents".
"We can push forward with a request for the capital expenditure required [for the refurbishment] or we can look at a brand new fire station at a more strategic location," Mr McInerney added.
He said while there are issues with the existing Bagenalstown Fire Station, the other three fire stations in the county are very "new and modern".
Cllr John Cassin asked that the Council ensure that any pitch for a new station won't affect existing firefighters and their proximity to the new station.
Mr McInerney said that would be something they will consider.