A ten-year lease of Kerry County Council offices in Castleisland to Uisce Éireann has been approved.
Councillors have given the water utility permission to rent part of the ground floor of the Castleisland Area Services Centre.
The lease will take effect once the existing agreement lapses on 31 December 2026.
Uisce Éireann took over the office in Castleview in 2023, when it assumed full responsibility for water services from the council.
It serves as a regional office and could be used by more than 80 staff on an ongoing basis.
The chief executive of Kerry County Council, Fearghal Reidy, says the lease will result in significant footfall and economic activity for Castleisland.
Uisce Éireann will pay an annual rent of almost €64,000 (€63,780) for the nearly 400-square-metre (395 m²) facility, which includes two meeting rooms.
Welcoming the lease, councillor Bobby O’Connell said it was a “very positive development” as it secures the 60 jobs already based there.
He asked that the council reinvest some of the rental income in improving the facility, including installing a lift, as this could attract even more jobs to the area.
Councillor Charlie Farrelly said the number of Uisce Éireann employees working from the site is equivalent to that of a small factory.
He called for the rental income to be used to upgrade the upper floor of the building and potentially convert it into accessible council offices and a meeting room.
He said that, at present, there are restrictions on who can make deputations in Castleisland, as the building is not wheelchair-accessible.
Councillor Johnny Healy-Rae said that having a Uisce Éireann regional office in Kerry is of significant value in fostering working relationships and progressing schemes.
The council’s director of corporate services, Martin O’Donoghue, said works will be undertaken both downstairs and upstairs in the building, and that additional council units are expected to be relocated there next year.
