We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
MINISTER PATRICK O’DONOVAN has moved to distance himself from significant Office of Public Works (OPW) spending, claiming that he was “not responsible” for the cost of the Leinster House bicycle shed.
O’Donovan, now Minister for Higher Education, was Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW from July 2020 until April 2024.
In recent weeks the OPW has made headlines, first for its €336,000 spend on a bicycle shelter in Leinster House and more recently for the €1.4m spend on a security hut, also at Leinster House.
It was also reported this week that modular homes for Ukrainian refugees, a project being led by the OPW, are now expected to cost €442,000 per unit, more than double the initial estimate of €200,000.
Speaking to reporters at a post-Budget press conference today, O’Donovan said that he only learned of the price of the €1.4mn security hut when it was revealed in an Oireachtas committee last week.
The minister also rejected that he had any responsibility for the cost of any of the above projects, despite them all commencing during his time as minister of state.
Yesterday, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said he was “embarrassed” by the cost of the bicycle shed and that he “accepts responsibility” as minister with responsibility for public spending.
When asked specifically if he also accepts any responsibility for the bicycle shed, O’Donovan replied:
“I wasn’t responsible for it.
“I didn’t approve money for it because that’s not the role of the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works. The accounting officer within the Office of Public Works is the chairman, and then, as we’ve seen in the Public Accounts Committee hearings, depending on a person’s position in that organisation, they have different level of sign off with regards to their financial responsibilities, something I think the chairman is now, with the management board of the Office of Public Works, reviewing.”
He added however that he agrees with Donohoe’s comments about the cost being embarrassing.
When asked if he believes there are sufficient checks and balances within the OPW when it comes to public spending, O’Donovan said the checks and balances within any government department come through the accounting officer and then are scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee.
“I would point out that it’s easy in some respects, to look at one or two projects but in the round, government departments have delivered,” he said.
When asked about the public anger that currently exists in regard to OPW spending specifically, O’Donovan said it is “important to point out that tens of thousands of people all over this country are being protected at the moment from floodwaters going into their houses every single day of the week, from sewage going into their houses every single day of the week, because of the work that the Office of Public Works have done.”
He added: “Over the last number of years, we have transformed a country that had a population of three and a half million people to a country with a population of six million people.”
When the minister was further questioned on the OPW spending and asked if he believes these examples indicate a systemic problem in the body, the minister told the reporter:
“No, because if you get a chance when the weather turns bad, I would suggest that you go to Clonmel, Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen, my own hometown of Newcastle West, and ask the people there about what the work is that the Office of Public Works do.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The issue won’t go away until the Spanish government allow a referendum. The more they resist the more determined the nationalists get.
@Fergus Kavanagh: wouldn’t the whole country have to vote for it to actually be a democratic decision?
@Dave O Keeffe:
Presumably you don’t think the Scots should be allowed to cecede from the UK unless an overall majority of UK (predominently English) voters agree to it then?
@Dave O Keeffe: ya that would be the common sense thing to do but don’t expect politicians to be straight, take Scottish referendum a few years ago if the English & Welsh had a say in it you could pretty much guarantee they would be independent now
@Avina Laaf: Scotland is a country
@Dave O Keeffe:
*Which is part of a democratic legally binding union
There, fixed that for you.
@Dave O Keeffe: Their own status as separate country is what they’re seeking, so you’re putting the cart in front of the horse.
Spain is made up of 15 separate regions, much the same way as the USA is made up of 50 different states. You might say Texas isn’t a country, merely a state, but they have the option to legally secede from the rest of the US. A Texan can say they are American but will say they are far from the same as being a Californian. The Catalonians are saying the same thing, they identify as being different from the other regions in Spain. If a majority in the region wish to separate from the rest of Spain, how can that be said to be undemocratic?
@Avina Laaf: Scotland is a country, the entire country voted, they decided Scotland would remain in the UK
@Dave O Keeffe:
You missed the point Dave. By your logic even if the Scots voted unanimously for independence it shouldn’t be allowed unless the rest of the UK agreed to it.
@Patrick Kearns: Catalonian’s speak Cat Alan as opposed to most of Spain which speak Castillano.
The real reason the Catalunyans want independence isn’t to do with a sense of nationhood, or cultural pride, it’s purely borne out of greed. It is the wealthiest part of Spain and they merely want to cast off the plebs so they can roll in their own money.
@Atheos Euripides: true. But please don’t talk about catalans as a whole. It’s a diverse society where the majority don’t want this. Catalan is not catalan nationalism.
@Atheos Euripides:
May or may not be true, but either way they have a right to self-determination regardless of their reasons.
@Atheos Euripides: why shouldn’t they have a referendum if that’s what the majority wants, it’s also a good chance to see how democratic the EU really is, will they recognise the Catalonians democratic wishes.
@Avina Laaf: false. Totally false. Read some international law.
@Atheos Euripides: And fair play to them..
@Massa: so your view is there should be no regional self determination? Why should they be forced to stay a part of a country they no longer want to be in? Unless you just want to preserve the current social hierarchy of things.
@Cicero: i don’t Say there shouldn’t be. I don’t care. Just follow the rules of democracy. Which are not just voting. There are ways of doing it. Just for the record. And it’s very easy to check for all of you. They are 35% of census. This is a complex topic.but be aware of propaganda…
@Atheos Euripides:
So what if they want to roll in their own money, fair play to them.
@Remy: yeah , like the bankers or the Rich. They should be free to decide if they pay taxes or not. And Dublin to decide if they fund poorer counties. Hahaha guys ….
@Massa: In 2014 in a practice vote the independence side got around 80%
@Jindrich Marz: yeah 40% of people voting… Total success!!! really guys…
@Massa: how many people go to referendum here, and still is valid. Anyway the support for independence is around 42%.
@Massa:
Yes, damn these upstarts with their quaint outdated notions of self-determination – how dare they….
@Jindrich Marz: ya, that “practice vote” was totally false. Opinion polls (yes I know) show that the remain side is more popular by a small buy clear margin
@Massa:
Hmmmm…
International law you say….
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/self_determination_international_law
@Liam Doyle: I suggest you take a look at how Cataluña became so wealthy. They didn’t just invent it themselves.
@Jindrich Marz: referendum here are totally legal as a democratic country. It’s your choice not to go. The rules are agreed by all. Again if all this needs to be explained in 2017 we have a problem in understanding democracy and we have a big problem with propaganda. My last comment. All the best.
@Dave O Keeffe: Still they should have a right to express themselves in an official vote. It would clear the situation and if voted to stay, it would help stability in Spain.
@Massa:
Your profile picture is quite ironic
@Massa: My sincere apologies, I should have been clearer and pointed to those calling for independence, I spent many years in Catalunya and fell in love with the people and landscape, many a night spent enjoying the sardanas in open squares.
@Liam Doyle: So you know nothing about Catalunya and its history. We’ll just add it to your ever-growing Things Liam Doyle Knows Nothing About Ignorance List.
@Jindrich Marz: except it affects the entire country so it would be only right for it to be a national vote.
@Jindrich Marz: by the way, the 2014 “referendum” allowed 16 and 17 year olds to vote as well as non-residents add to that that it was boycotted by the No campaign with a roughly 40% turnout and yeah, you’ve got a redundant statistic introduced by someone either being deceitful or not having a clue what they’re talking about.
@Liam Doyle: Atheos was probably referring to the fact that your comment in itself displayed an ignorance of the history, as I was too but you seemed more intent on just insulting him than actually discussing the issue.
700?!
Breaking the law of a democratic country is, by definition, non democratic. Those mayors being called just to declare (they havent been accused) represent 30% of the total population of Catalonia.
@Massa:
Then what’s the problem with holding a referendum if support for independence is so low?
@Avina Laaf: the sovereignity belongs to the people of the whole country. Just as pretty much any other country un the world. If this needs to be explained in 2017…
@Avina Laaf: the support is somewhere close to 50%.
@Massa:
I suggest you take a look at a map of the world from any time in history and compare it with a modern one.
@Avina Laaf: not relevant for this topic. But thanks for telling me…
@Massa:
No, of course the right to self-determination has no relevance whatsoever to how international boundaries develop over time….
*cough*
Well done to the Catalans, unlike our weasel politicians who roll over when Merkel and her cronies tell them to
This comes down to Spain’s Constitution. Does it permit an “Independence” vote by any single region? And apparently it doesn’t by the ruling of the Constitutional Court. When the Spanish Constitution was drafted it was put to “All” the Spanish people to agree on by referendum. As such the Catalans agreed to the conditions set out in the Constitution. It would be like County Cork declaring that the Irish Constitution is no longer applicable to them and they could do as they saw fit.
@Mick Jordan:
And why shouldn’t they if that’s what they want? Isn’t it a bit, well, fascist to say that the rest of the country can deny Corconians the right to self-determination?
I have to admit a lot of ignorance on this topic. What happens if the referendum goes ahead? Could there be sanctions? Could the military get involved? Dark days.
Spanexit
Spain’s democracy is too recent and fragile to mess with it. Those that dare seem irresponsible. Creating differences, feeling more Catalan, more authentic, braver and without fear (no tinc por!) against an enemy that is not common, but chosen by a few to detract from the real issues facing a Catalonia that is looking defaced and aged as if tired of coping with all the assaults made in its name, as if it was a martyr awaiting death whilst most of its citizens remain unemployed or with lower salaries and worse public services.
They can blame Spain and say they are not afraid and that independence is their best bet, but they don’t know themselves.
It’s a smoke screen that could hide what we should all fear. The shaking of our democracy and peace & the return to the whispers and taking sides
How do you figure that Catalonia is a North Eastern region? Do you have access to Google maps in the journal offices?
@billy Dorney:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say