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A NEW SECURITY hut at Government Buildings in Dublin cost €1.4 million in total, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has said.
The costs of the new security hut were detailed during a Finance Committee meeting where the management of the OPW were being questioned about the €336,000 bike shed at the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Commenting on the matter in New York this afternoon, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: “I was shocked to hear that figure.”
“It’s ridiculous,” the Tánaiste said.
At the Finance Committee this afternoon, Green Party TD Steven Matthews asked Chair of the OPW John Conlon the cost of the “beautiful” new security checkpoint on Merrion Street Upper.
“The full cost of that project was €1.429 million,” Conlon said.
Conlon said he wanted to “emphasise” that the cost followed “an extensive review of security in this campus” by members of An Garda Síochána.
“While it looks like, and is, a fairly significant cost, there were very significant mechanical, electrical and security systems costs in that. There was also a significant cost to provide a temporary structure while the building was taking place.”
Matthews asked if Conlon thought the price was excessive. The chair of the OPW said that, given the security procedures, he didn’t believe so.
He remarked that the majority of the work, such as the routing, wiring and technological work for CCTV systems and other security features, is not seen from ground level and is mostly concealed beneath the hut.
“There’s far more to that project than meets the eye,” Conlon said.
Matthews asked the management that a breakdown of the costs by presented to the committee as a matter of priority.
Micheál Martin said of the hut this afternoon: “There’s no need for that level of expenditure.”
“I think we need a fundamental review now of what’s happening and full transparency in front of the Oireachtas.”
Additional reporting by Jane Matthews in New York
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This government and their civil service cronies make RTE look like amateurs at wasting taxpayers’ money.
@John Dennehy: now we all know why leo the leak Legged,,,
@james rowan: Legged it,,,
@james rowan: bit of a stretch, in fairness. He legged it because he was out of his depth and eventually realised it.
@Dermot Blaine: as the leaky leader he new what was comming down the road, the bicycle shed,NCH, security bunker,what else is going to LEAK next,
@John Dennehy: Is there any end to this scandalous overspend of taxpayers money. It’s beyond a joke at this stage. Someone needs to be held accountable but I won’t hold my breath.
@John Dennehy: nope, both pros. Let’s not diminish the disgrace that rte are. They should be cut off.
@james rowan: you think the TDs give a damn? No they don’t, this is all on the OPW in their eyes. They’re not even embarrassed.
Sweet Jesus, that Apple windfall ain’t going to last long
@Buster Lawless: that’s loooooonnnnnnnggggggg gone. You just don’t know it yet.
Sf will bankrupt the country they say.
@Damien Leahy: starting with casement park (from small beginnings). Still, yet another about turn on rent subsidies might save a few euros and a few votes from the burn down the hotels and f… immigrant brigade.
@Alan: A state shouldn’t need to subsidies rents in an economy for the majority, not the minority but hey, great of the state to pump more money into the banks to keep the sky high prices even more expensive than at the height of the Celtic Tiger but that’s great governance
@Alan: you think it will cost more than the children’s hospital do ya? Wouldn’t even get 300 huts from this government for that the same money
Don’t you love the way Martin acts as if it is absolutely nothing to do with him .
@sean weir:
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: “I was shoked to hear that figure.”
“It’s ridiclous,” the Tánaiste said.
As I’ve said before, the bike shed is only the tip of the ice berg, it’s easy to blame contractors but it’s the govts fault and those they oversee. It’s either catosrophic incompetence on an ongoing basis or it’s payoffs to friends. Either way who only the Irish electorate are happy to be governed by this level of incompetence.
@Eddie Garvey: I agree, do we have alternatives though?
@If you’re: funny, taxation without representation still rings through to this day, just sayin
@Eddie Garvey: The Gucci government that has very fine tastes when the taxpayer is paying for it.
@If you’re: of course we do, it’s ridiculous to say we have to vote for them no matter what. maybe voting differently will make things better, maybe it won’t but you absolutely have to give incompetent representatives(or those who are laughing at us) a major kick in the arse. How else will they learn that they are privileged to represent us, not the other way around
@Eddie Garvey: it’s not just the Irish government, I have contracts for different municipal, state, provincial, federal and national governments, and they are all the same. Tearing down office walls, to rebuild a new wall in the exact same spot, with the same characteristics, for a cost of $60k. It’s the cost of government work.
@Eddie Garvey: I never heard you say that before.
@Eddie Garvey:
What do you expect.
The OPW is full of Irish.
@H Woo: Racist
@Eddie Garvey: same circus, same clowns.
They get voted to run the country.
But lessons will be learned and transparency is in the agenda (not)
The magic money tree
@Michale Kane: magic money tree,we’re going to need a magic money Forrest at this rate.
We could have had 4 bike sheds for that kind of money
Here we go again. A bloody Porto cabin would do the job. Or somebody sitting on a chair. More to it that meets the eye, which eye are they looking out of?
@David O Brien:
Don’t be silly.
A chair?
@David O Brien: A sniper up a tree. Special branch
@David O Brien: that would be a nod and a wink. The 1.4 million cake was carved up nicely, Fuc! The Tax Payer’s.
@Larry Betts: an umbrella. Undercover agent
@Alan: On the look out for a miniature fortune teller who broke out from Mountjoy. “Small medium at large”
@Larry Betts: Ha ha love it
@H Woo: Probably cost 500 grand
Did Pascals mate build this too ?
@Michale Kane: Most likely, as they are the OPW nominated contractor.
As for our vaunted media ,
rte – the dog that didn’t bark, lest it upsets its paymaster. Too busy in North Dublin council areas helping the Gardai crack down on anti-immigrant groups.
It’s terrifying to think how this shower of wasters will waste the 13 billion of taxpayers’ money reluctantly recouped by the government.
You get what you vote for folks… FG/FF have been at this craic for decades.
Let’s have another inquiry blah blah accountability blah blah (Rob our pockets), and what will we do??? NOTHING but complain and tut.
The cost of NCH will double after it gets it security huts and bike sheds.
@Michale Kane: yiu might be right, the plans have very limited car park spaces.
Do these people in The OPW believe everything a contractor tells them about the costs involved in these projects?
@Alan Dunne:
Guy on the radio a few years back, who was putting a tender to trim back hedgerows for a semi state company was told to attend a meeting with all the other guys who were also about to tender for the work.
He and others were warned not to bid under a certain amount.
As they all had a living to make.
@H Woo: And ? …. I’m still on edge of me seat !!!
@Alan Dunne: once your a nominated contactor, you get the nod vor the works, come back with a desgin if one is already in place, and the OPW sets a buget amount aside for the project. If you a look at the OPW tenders awarded you will see one company get most of the sureying work,
Well they are going to need a lot of security now with the baying crowd wanting their heads on a pike, they are the worst government this country ever had, and as for LV he should go before a tribunal, he scapered.
This will give the government another 2% in the polls, the Irish love this sort of thing
What a workplace, they get travel allowances to get to work & expenses fo over nighting, full restaurant & bar facilities, security, plus an additional €5K for personal security, free parking for life, a Taj Mahal Bike Shelter & Security Hut, new Fitness Instructor for the state of the art Gym, support staff, topped off with six figure salaries & gold plated pensions, Largesse at its finest, just like it’s PR arm RTE. Then all we hear from a man 17 years in power, is the word ridiculous, truly a failed Nation run by Corrupt Despots.
@John Mc Dermott:
While shin Fein were telling porkies about only drawing the average industrial wage, Until the bold Dessie spilled the beans on the top boy and girls in the organisation.
@H Woo: yeah SF approved and signed the contracts for the NCH, security hut, bike shed..
SF resigned the NCH contract while hiding the huge rise in costs…. and all the rest of the icebergs. …
Oh wait now it was FG and Simon..
Who signs a contract for anything, let alone a hospital, let alone largest capital project in the state, let alone it be for children’s health without any idea of what the final cost will be, or when the job will be finished?
The answer to that question is Simon Harris.
@John Mc Dermott:
Ireland in the top fifteen LEAST corrupt countries in the world.
Stop being over dramatic.
@H Woo: wtf has this to do with SF? They are not in charge and have no say over govt spending. If you cannot grasp that simple fact you really should not be commenting. Its embarrassing
@Michale Kane: Your obsession with Simon is disturbing, seek help.
@Fintan Pox: now Stephen, take a min and look up irony
@H Woo: blessus if you believe that you’ll believe anything
Is there more coming. It feels like we’re being drip fed
These civil service cu^ts couldnt run a bath… they speak like its nothing and with an arrogance that is hard to take, its like how dare we be questioned..
Back in day I was asked to give a price on one of the OFW responsibility, I didn’t get the job and that’d fine but to see a company that was out of business ,bankrupt getting the job is , what you voted for
FF/FG should rebrand and call themselves the Gucci government.
@John Dennehy: Gucci Gang (OCG) would be more accurate
It’s no surprise that the minister for the OPW at the time was none other than Patrick O’Donovan,thats right the same TD who blamed the Dublin/ Monaghan bombings on the IRA and has been moved to HIGHER EDUCATION since April,a pure genius
Jesus H
An increase in the carbon tax will cover that. There’s nothing to worry about.
MM is shocked. Isn’t that some laugh
This is the tip of the iceberg I reckon, really sad state of affairs
@Richard Cullen: It’s a very large lettuce…….
Ffs….. c’mon people! This government are mis-spending tax-payers money hand over fist on over the top spends while local community groups etc…… are cash strapped and looking for much needed funds to keep going! This government needs to go now!
It’s amazing how they can spend outrageous amount of money when it isn’t coming out of their pockets. Did they follow procurement procedures when commissioning these jobs. These figures are eye watering. Surely, the Comptroller and Auditor General needs to step in and that all projects need to be signed off by this office going forward.
Money Well spent . It needs to be robust. It might have to withstand a cyclist careering into it on their way to the bike stand
…& wait until the unemployed folk get wind that there’s no increase for them in the upcoming budget.
@Julio’s Evil Twin: don’t think that’s going to happen it’s earmarked.
@Julio’s Evil Twin: Typical lame deflection from Gov incompetence
@Phillip Smyth: .
..
Ms Humphreys previously hinted there would be no increases to the jobseeker’s allowance in Budget 2025, saying there should be a focus on those who cannot work such as those who are disabled, pensioners and carers.
.
..
She said she didn’t see “a strong policy rationale” for increasing welfare payments for the long-term unemployed.
_____
.
. Only the greens it would seem are pushing for an increase..
@Julio’s Evil Twin:
No hand outs for able body under twenty fives.
@Julio’s Evil Twin: and she was spot on
@Pat Hazzard: Stephen ya forgot to change accounts, ya were H WOO !
Some craic
I’m no fan of the government but this seems to be a problem within the OPW which wont change no matter whos in power as there is no one held accountsble for excessive spending and wasting money.As usual, it’s seems to be a case of handing out whatever is asked for with no accountability. I would be very interested to see the breakdown of costs as there seems to be an awful lot of waffle around where the money went. I would suspect if you had a close look at the contracts and who was given them there might also be a few eyebrows raised maybe?
“There’s far more to that project than meets the eye,” Conlon said Of course Mr John Conlon of course!
Always interesting how “prepared” they are to explain these costs in such a flippant manner Any private business the likes of Conlon would be gone through that very security hut with his bicycle from “that shed” to follow via courier!
I am sorry but the spending by civil and public servants has gone beyond ridiculous. The world’s most expensive hospital before it is finished and probably the most expensive bike she’d and security hut. I am raging.
@Suzanne Phelan: Remember the printer from a few years ago?
@Tom L: what about the flosey in the jacuzzi, the time in the slime, or even the spike/nail etc….
Remember when the shinners did this when they were in power……oh wait sorry they weren’t but the FFG mob and their support have a crystal ball to tell us they would make it worse sure
@Tom Newell:
Shinners to busy making a mess up north with the hard earned London taxpayers money
@H Woo: Omg are you replying to every comment about factual Gov incompetence with something about SF now..
@Michale Kane: hes obsessed but I suppose SF are living rent free in his head
@H Woo: ffg are too busy spending yours.
Ah! Here now-give me a break!
@Willie Marty: Sorry, but that will cost you 2.9 million Euro.
@Susan Cody: thanks Susan .You just made my headache worse.
Somebody must be after getting a major renovation at home
How can I get a slice of this cake.
@087 bed: put up posters for pascal the rascal ?
@087 bed: get on the approved council list for pensioner bathroom upgrades
Between RTE, the OPW, and the fat cats in Government collectively, plus the unknowns of waist we don’t know about, how are the people of Ireland standing for this
@N D K:
I have never heard shin Fein complain about big pay offs at Bord Gas to certain ex employees of theirs.
@H Woo: Typical FG response to their failures.., but but SF. .., give it a rest
@H Woo:
Would you ever shut up about Sinn Fein. They are not in power and never will be. Nobody cares what the political wing of the RA think anyway.
@H Woo: when we’re sf in power? Remind me who was in power for those pay offs? Typical ffg supporter all mouth and no brain
I thought they were congratulating conlon the opw boss on his upcoming retirement not appointment in April. Nice uplift appointment for his retirement with an increase in pension and lump sum.trying to justify some of the cost by saying the garda had to be consulted a bit rich who would they consult the kgb mi5 well maybe they outsource every thing else.the wiring is under the hut pathetic lame excuses
@Stephen Byrne:
Let me guess
You are an in anti terrorest securerty expert.
Or fart alot on bar stools
@H Woo: Oh the irony… let me quess your a bad actor for Gov .. your comments are less mature and less intelligent that the usual FG lot, so I’d guess your one of Stephen Kearons multiple personalities.
Every activity in the country shops, businesses, sports Clubs, entertainment premises and government facilities and even children’s playgrounds are forced to over spend on security and any social wrongdoing.
@thomas molloy: lol
@Michale Kane: Recently provided entire playgrounds are having to be rebuilt in fire proof materials thanks to destructive minded youths. Another lol opportunity for you perhaps. ?
@thomas molloy: Great deflection from Government incompetence and corruption…. I’d build a fortress with almost impenetrable defences for 1.4 million…. And a moat
@Michale Kane: no bailey? or would that be extra mill or two?
@barry williams: well I could actually build a castle, but that would be impossible for them to believe, built a nice gaff for a quarter mill ..
@thomas molloy: Security is NEVER an overspending specially for playgrounds.
And still FFGG riding high in the polls? Are people blind and daft? We get what we elect. Vote Sinn Fein and give them a chance. FFG have been in power in one shape or another for the last 100 years.
Gravy train. Happening every day of the week all over the country. Many pensioners are entitled to a ‘free’ basic bathroom upgrade, for mobility or other reasons. This free bathroom costs the Irish taxpayer about 30k. Would be 15% of this price normally. 80% extra markup seems common enough practice.
And the best Martin can come up with is a full review
To be fair probably has a burko for instant hot water for tea or coffee, a good heater, a phone to call whoever doesn’t matter won’t be paying for it,TV and a microwave for grub.
@Paddy C:
More then likely the building will be using the latest high tech security equipment,
Which is not cheap.
@H Woo: someone needs to take your batteries out
@H Woo: In fairness those thousand euro flashlights are top of the range..
I have a Prince looking for investment, you should hook up.
This is a joke, every planned government contract that hasn’t got contracts signed needs to be paused immediately
I’m now wordering how much the new fence at Stephen Donnellys gaff cost the taxpayer. Wasn’t that one led by a security review also?
You know the way a thief, a hacker etc are rehabbed and hired by the government to teach them how its done? Well, Mick Wallace is already on the government payroll. Appoint him to a post where he can show us how thievery in the construction business works. He over qualified……..
@Oh Mammy:
Did he ever get around to paying in his ex workers pension contrabutions
Or hand over the Vat to the revenue he charged young couples buying his properties.
Socialism is only for the little people.
@H Woo: poor attempt at deflection. Gov bots must try better!
@H Woo: socialism is why the Scandinavian countries are the best in the world. Name one capitalist country that doesn’t have people dying in hospital waiting rooms or a massive homeless situation? How secure are jobs in capitalist countries vs socialist? You seem to talk a lot of rubbish. Go back to reading your FG and FF books “voting for
Dum dums” lol.
The brown envelopes are getting bigger
Where are their auditors
… and the peasantry can go eat cake…
Being excessively generous here, shall we say .5 million was the cost of this fancy hut. So where would you guess the other nearly 1 million went ???
@Gerald O’Reilly: Possibly Pascal the rascals mate, albeit they said he put up pascals election posters out of civic duty, expecting absolutely nothing in return of course !
I hope lessons are being learned by all the anti SF’s and their infamous magic money tree rhetorics
Easy to squander money when it’s the tax payers footing the bill
June 10th 2024. Local elections 39% turnout. 61% chose to stay at home instead of using their vote to bring down this disgraceful government.
If you don’t vote you have no right to complain about the government, the lack of services, immigration or the myriad of other issues that this and previous governments have overseen.
We need to know that our vote is the most important thing we possess and failing to use it is why we have such failures running the country.
Until the people of this country realise that real change is required and that we have the power to affect this change at the polling booths we will just have more of the same
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Please try something new and VOTE
The civil service clearly have too much time and cash. Any Party trying to justify even more taxation at the next election has lost the plot. It’s time for tax cuts at long last.
If there was no security?…… This ‘hut’ has to be connected to all security systems, internal and external. While it was being constructed it’s temporary replacement had to be connected also. While €1.4 million sounds like a lot, there is more involved than just a portacabin, or, god help us, a ‘man on a chair’ as somebody suggested.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: haha you’re right, could just as easily be a woman on a chair
@Kevin Kerr: :)
Jeez wept at the rate taxpayers money is being spent we are going to need every cent of that €14 billion Apple money
And this wasn’t about helping, jobs and more like the ,why we Nedd to change
TDs complained about security. So, when the OPW provide that security, in this case for where they sit, the TDs com0lain. Conlon should say that, in future, for security he would be happy to switch off the CCTV and other security apparatus. Of course, if anything happens, he will not be taking the blame.
@AnthonyK: security was already there how is a hut worth 1.4 million made it more secure?
BAM was surely the money sucker being both of those.
In a country that is racing at break neck speed to the bottom it makes sense; those who have access to these gigs are laughing all the way to the bank. In 2010 students entered the Dept of finance through the side entrance for staff, media outlets were informed and laughed at us…..ahhh Ted
The hut in the rut.
These absolute F4ck3r5, what is wrong with buying a Steel tech shed or a Wooden one? How are these things even brought over the threshold or being submitted??? This should be put to a vote to be fair.. at this point anything the OPW does should be voted for by all taxpayers on an online portal.. it’s not that hard to create a portal for that.. there’s one where they easily take our taxes sure, we could use that.. my god..
“More than meets the eye”? What, it’s a Transformer?
It would have to be a Decepticon then, can’t imagine any Autobots wanting to help protect a cesspit populated entirely by crooks.
Our public servants in the upper echelons of the service are at best mediocre. No initiative and little life experience. Cocooned in their protected world, they could teach turds tricks on how to float.
As for Mr.Conlon…..is he the best this country has to offer?
Micheal Martin is like somebody watching from the sidelines commenting as a Bystander, when in fact he is the man most culpable after 17 years at Cabinet level & being Tanaiste & Taoiseach, he has brought us to this point & enabled this largesse at all levels, RTE, the Civil Service, Banking, Insurance, you name it. A failed Politician overseeing a failed Nation. White Collar crime & corruption is & has always thrived in Ireland, enabled by our Politicians.
I did some research and was able to find out the name of the politician who heads up the OPW. His name has never come up in the media. He has never been interviewed about his decision making. No one is asking him questions. But here’s a clue, think FG/Limerick….
I welcome this development.
I’m coming over there to beat y’all
And on it goes, up yours taxpayer !!!
Sweat jesus
Government spending your money. Absolute complete wasters
How many houses can you build for that?
F mew ow
You have no idea. This is happening in all goverment run bodies. For example, private sector costs 3 to 4k goverment run bodies cost 53k it’s a joke.
Shambles
Starting to think maybe BAM aren’t to blame after all for the 3 billion euro hospital.
Fewer jihadis, the better.
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