Portlaoise Leisure Centre To Close With Loss Of 30 Jobs

Tuesday, 16 June 2020 11:39

Due to financial constraints caused by the pandemic they are unable to continue to trade.

30 jobs are being lost in Laois due to the closure of Porlaoise Leisure Centre.

The Board says due to the financial constraints caused by the Covid19 pandemic they are unable to continue to trade beyond today.

In a statement they say they will begin to wind up the company that operates on behalf of Laois County Council.

Staff were told of the decision during a meeting yesterday evening.

Statement on behalf of Board of Portlaoise Leisure Centre:

It is with deep regret that we announce the closure of Portlaoise Leisure Centre with immediate effect.

The Leisure Centre has been of huge importance to our community for over three decades and the news of this closure is a very sad day for us, as a Board, our 30 staff, the town of Portlaoise and the wider community in County Laois.

Due to severe financial constraints caused by the Covid19 pandemic we are unable to continue to trade beyond today and as a result we are winding up the company that operates Portlaoise Leisure Centre on behalf of Laois County Council. On this occasion Laois County Council was not in a position to provide financial assistance to help keep the Centre going in a time of huge uncertainty.

The Board is extremely regretful of the position that we have found ourselves in, and the resulting loss of 30 jobs, both full and part-time in our local community. We met with staff last evening, together with the liquidator appointed, to advise staff of the situation and their entitlements.

Today is a disappointing and sad day for our hard working committed team who have given hugely to this community resource, some for over thirty years. We would like to extend huge thanks to them for their hard work over the years and particularly this most recent period of challenge, staff who worked so hard to keep the Leisure Centre going.

Having met with Laois County Council on numerous occasions over the past number of weeks and days, we are confident that a bright future lies ahead for Portlaoise Leisure Centre and we look forward to the day that it will reopen to provide a service, once again, for the people of Portlaoise and the wider County Laois community.

Board of Portlaoise Leisure Centre