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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The Volex building in Castlebar
THE recently-approved sale of part of the Volex plant in Castlebar has raised ‘serious questions’ about the sale of a previous part of the building by Mayo County Council.
Cllr Peter Flynn made these comments after councillors formally approved the sale of part of the facility for €1.27 million to the Ballinrobe-based Dextex Ltd.
In May 2020, a part of the building that was almost twice the size in square feet was sold for €570,000 following Part 183 approval from councillors.
“When I look at this valuation going through today, for a site that is close to half the size of this for €1.3 million, it really raises serious, serious questions about what we allowed back in 2020,” Cllr Flynn told the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council.
“I think it’s appalling. I think it really just highlights some of the legacy issues that has been inherited in this council.”
The Walsh Group, who are based in Ballinrobe, had sought to lease 3,573 square metres of the building from Mayo County Council in 2020.
The company is proposed to establish a mechanical engineering offsite and fabrication with the potential to create up to 30 jobs. No such plans have yet materialised.
A six-year lease from Mayo County Council had been agreed which could culminate in a purchase or sale at the end of the period.
Cllr Donna Sheridan supported Cllr Flynn’s request for an update on the status of the plant.
“I’ll tell you straight out, I’ve been going up there looking in the windows to see what’s going on and there’s nothing going on in the other part of it,” she said.
Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, told councillors that work had been ongoing at the Volex plant and expected that additional jobs would be created there.
He agreed to provide a report to councillors with a full update on the status of the building at their next meeting.
At its peak, over 1,000 people were employed by Volex at the plant before it announced its closure in 2002 with the loss of 230 jobs.
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