45th anniversary of opening of Davitt House
By Tom Gillespie
THIS week 45 years ago, on Monday, June 28, 1976, the then Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrove, performed the official opening of the decentralised Department of Lands to Davitt House in Castlebar.
On June 21 of that year the big move west began when sections of the Department of Lands was moved out of Dublin to Castlebar.
One hundred civil servants took up their posts in Castlebar as part of the first phase transfer to the county town.
Later they were joined by 60 extra, including 36 locally based staff who had been recruited and underwent training in Dublin.
Nine years earlier (1967) the then Minister for Lands, Michael O’Morain, and Castlebar native, gave the green light for the development.
Since 1976 hundreds of staff have worked and retired from Davitt House, which is one of the largest employers in the county town.
The building has been extensively enlarged and modernised over the years with the new entrance being added in recent times.
A report in The Connaught Telegraph on the acquisition of the site said the building would consist of two two-storey office blocks totalling 3,000 square feet of office space to be named Michael Davitt House, in memory of the founder of the Land League founder who was born in Straide, nine miles from Castlebar.
Following the opening a further 120 civil servants attached to the local offices of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries - who were housed in the Military Barracks - and the Revenue Commissioners, moved into the new offices.
Intreo is the new service from the Department of Social Protection and it is the most recent to be added to the many departments operating from Davitt House in Castlebar.
Intreo is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports.
Designed to provide a more streamlined approach, Intreo offers practical, tailored employment services and supports for jobseekers and employers alike.
The opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 9.15 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday, 9.15 a/m. to 1 p.m.
Appointments can be made Monday to Wednesday from 9.15 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9.15 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
The areas covered by Intreo are: Castlebar and surrounding areas including Turlough, Ballyvary, Balla, Belcarra, Ballintubber, Mayo Abbey, Ballyglass, Carnnacon, Islandeady, Straide, Glenisland and Glenhest.
Davitt House, off the Breaffy Road and Station Road, also houses the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
Also located there is the Garda Information Services Centre (GISC), a contact centre for operational members of An Garda Síochána.
After an incident, gardaí contact the GISC on mobile phones instead of returning to their station to record the case details. They give the details to trained civilian call-takers who enter the details on the PULSE system - An Garda Síochána’s database.
GISC was established on a pilot basis in September 2005 and rolled out nationally by October 2006.
When Davitt House was being constructed great care was taken not to disturb what was believed to be a fairy fort which is located at the back of the building and facing MacHale Park.