Embattled Waterford Area Partnership claims local authority is trying to decide its future 

Michael Walsh, CEO Waterford County Council, said the allegation that the local authority was trying to exercise authority over the board was 'simply not true'.

The new board at an embattled State-funded company in Waterford has claimed that the local authority is "closing every door" to its future existence.

Waterford Council's chief executive Michael Walsh has, in turn, suggested a "complete change" of the board and senior management at the Waterford Area Partnership (WAP), which is under investigation by gardaí, Revenue, and the Charities Regulator.

The board has been meeting with the council to secure its 47 jobs and several employment programmes. 

A damning report by the Department of Rural and Community Development, first reported by the Irish Examiner last month, found that the organisation is at “risk of collapse” and is “not viable” due to its issues.

The latest development comes after correspondence between WAP and the council boss, with the board’s secretary writing to all councillors and its management on Monday, saying that the council manager “appears to be seeking the removal” of some board members.

The secretary, Tom Creedon, told this newspaper this was due to Mr Walsh informing directors that he believed a “new board” without any “connections” to legacy issues was required.

Amid calls from politicians and unions to help ensure the company’s jobs and programmes have a future, the council has repeatedly stressed that it has no oversight for WAP, instead only having oversight over the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP). This is worth €1.1m annually.

“The Council, in saying that it has no operational responsibility for WAP, and giving no assistance, but insisting on exercising authority in respect of the Partnership, is being unhelpful and unfair,” read the board’s letter to politicians.

Responding in his own letter to councillors, Mr Walsh said he was “extremely disappointed” and said the allegation that the local authority was trying to exercise authority over the board was “simply not true”.

Accounts for 2019 must be submitted by March 15 or else the council will cancel the SICAP contract, Mr Walsh added.

He repeated his view that the board needs to be changed: “If there is to be a solution, it is my opinion that there will need to a complete change of the company, both at board and senior management, if funding authorities, future creditors, and the public are to be satisfied that a sustainable future is possible.” 

When asked about this, Mr Creedon said he found it “difficult to reconcile the council’s position that they have no oversight when they are telling what board members need to be got rid of”, adding that new members now outnumber old members.

Mr Creedon said the council manager had “placed novel impediments” in the path of the company, by refusing a secondment for a specific member of council staff, as the council cited “an absolute conflict of interest” due to the SICAP contract.