A row has erupted in the Midlands over a decision to put a bike hire contract in Co Offaly out to tender, with the man who started the business and ran it for 11 years losing out in the tendering process.
Pat Barrett started the Lough Boora Rent-a-bike business over a decade ago and built it into an established attraction in the area; offering bikes to people to explore the Lough Boora Parklands near Ferbane in Co Offaly.
However, it was
decided by Bord na Mona, under whose remit the parklands falls, that the right
to run the bike hire business would be put out to tender. And though Mr Barrett
entered that process, he was not successful.
He was informed last Friday that he could no longer run his business in the area as a Dublin-based former, CK Cycles, was the successful bidder and would be taking over. The Dublin firm, which runs a bike hire business in Phoenix Park, is owned by for Dublin GAA player Conal Keaney.
Former Dublin footballer and hurler Conal Keaney has been renting bikes in Dublin's Pheonix Park for about seven years and now has the contract in Offaly, though clearly faces some opposition there
There is anger in the area as it has been hit by job losses due to the significant restructuring of Bord na Mona, with a 'just transition' process and fund being put in place to aid the region. That plan stresses the importance of local jobs. But some people are angered by the displacement of a local company by a Dublin firm for the Boora bike hire contract and have called for a boycott of the bike hire business if the new operators are introduced as planned.
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Mr Barrett spoke out on social media, saying he was doing so with “a heavy heart” as he had been told last Friday he “was not allowed to run the bicycle hire service anymore, a service that me and my family started up 11 years ago".
"This news came about after a tendering process that we were not successful in," he confirmed. "So much for trying to keep jobs locally. Looking at the whole process of tendering, I was never going to get it. Thanks to everyone again for all the support over the last 11 years.”
Bord na Móna reacts
In a statement Bord na Móna said Mr Barrett was its
employee, as well as operating the bike hire business. It added it recently
tendered the bike hire served in the Lough Boora Discovery Park on etenders, as
it was required to do as a semi state body.
"The procurement process was a fair and open
competition, conducted with independent oversight, and attracted a number of
responses,” it said. “All tender responses were evaluated across set
competition and compliance criteria and the winning provider scored highest
across all the evaluation criteria.”
Barry Cowen TT, a Fianna Fail Dáil deputy from Offaly, said he had requested a meeting with Bord na Mona, adding he could not believe that a local person who had built up the business before the area was such a big attraction was now being replaced.
"Pat’s business first started attracting visitors to
the parkland and his professionalism, huge knowledge of the facility, its
history and its significance to the locality meant that they returned time and time again,” he said.
Carol Nolan TD (Ind) echoed those views, saying: “It doesn’t seem right or fair that Pat didn’t get an opportunity to continue doing the great work he did over a period of 11 years," she commented.
“Many of
us in this community will not accept the despicable behaviour of Bord na Mona
which has stooped to a new low.”
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