Campaighers accuse Council of secret deals

(An edited version of this piece was published in the Sunday World February 26th 2017)

Campaigners are accusing Fermanagh and Omagh District Council of privatising a major public facility in secret, with implications for everybody in Northern Ireland. Press and public have been excluded from Council meetings that discussed leasing out the 230 acre Necarne Estate near Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, to a private operator.

Diane Little of the ‘Saving Necarne’ campaign, said Fermanagh and Omagh Council is setting a precedent for all Councils to sell off public assets, which were funded by ratepayers for community benefit, without consultation, or without even allowing councillors to listen to public concerns. “Why is this process not open and transparent?” Little asked. “Why did the Council choose this process and apply commercial criteria to a site which is the local area community recreation space and community heritage?  The Council made a choice in the process they chose. They could have chosen to follow their policies and be open and transparent, inclusive and empowering.” Her group has protested outside Council meetings.

The Council has refused to meet the ‘Saving Necarne’ group. Chief Executive Brendan Hegarty has told a Council meeting he will not meet ‘Saving Necarne’ until the tendering process is completed. Councillors have been instructed not to meet Saving Necarne.

The Council has refused to answer Freedom of Information requests about the leasing out. When ‘Saving Necarne’ requested the ‘Expressions of Interest’ received by the Council, it refused.

The Council proposes to charge £20,000 rent per year for Necarne. However, ‘Saving Necarne’ has estimated the Council could receive £27,000 per year in agricultural subsidies for the estate by operating it itself.

‘Saving Necarne’ is concerned by the scoring system in the Council’s Expression of Interest document to choose bidders. The highest score is 25% for amount of Rent Paid to council. There is no mention at all of community needs.

The Necarne Equestrian Centre opened on the estate in 1994, as a centre of excellence. It was designed to be particularly used by young people and those suffering disability. Fermanagh Council has spent £5million on it. A report calls it “the best facility of its kind on the island of Ireland.”  

A Council spokesperson said the Council will not meet ‘Saving Necarne’ because “as the ‘Expressions of Interests’ have been properly submitted the Council has no discretion and cannot now decide to give any consideration to any other proposals as this would clearly leave the Council at risk of potential litigation.”

It is understood that the Council is now considering one offer. This is from Dromore-based Gardrum Properties. That company’s directors are Derek Irwin Keys and Paddi Georgina Keys, both with addresses at Omagh Road, Dromore, Co Tyrone.

Little said she wished to make clear she has no personal issue with Keys. However, she said this is a wide issue about how Northern Ireland is run: “We are not just fighting about Necarne anymore we are fighting to restore appropriate process, openness, transparency and democracy.”