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AN OFFICE OF Public Works (OPW) project to replace an unsafe 70-metre perimeter wall around a government office ended up costing over €490,000.
The works at the Dublin HQ of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) were originally expected to cost around €200,000 exclusive of VAT.
However, a live ESB cable and a leaking pipe were discovered during preliminary works leading to extensive delays and unforeseen costs.
It resulted in a doubling of the bill, with around €240,000 spent on demolition of the wall and rebuilding, in line with the original OPW estimates.
The extra works to deal with the high voltage live electricity cable that was uncovered during the work however, ended up adding more than €250,000 to the bill.
The OPW acknowledged there were “very significant delays as well as increased costs” on the job at Lansdowne House in Ballsbridge.
This included payments of €54,000 to the ESB to redirect the wire and €61,500 to Dublin City Council so footpaths and public parking could be closed off.
A further €82,200 was spent on ancillary costs, according to a detailed breakdown of spending provided by the OPW under FOI after a long delay.
The saga began in March 2021 when the OPW was conducting an inspection of the building, where they found the perimeter wall was “deemed unsafe for health and safety reasons” and had been built without a proper foundation.
A record of a site visit said there was a risk it could collapse during a “strong wind or through accidental force.”
A decision was made to rebuild it using salvaged bricks with the building firm Sensori approved as contractors and a preliminary estimate of €213,366 inclusive of VAT for the work.
However, the project ran into difficulties in October 2022 when the leaking water main and an electrical cable were discovered.
An email said: “We encountered an ESB cable within the earth in close proximity to where we need to excavate and partially encased in the existing foundation. We are of the understanding from speaking with ESB that the cable is live.”
It was mid-2023 before the ESB removed the cable. Work on the actual wall only recommenced in December of that year.
In early 2024 however, the contractor discovered there was still a section of live electrical cable near where works were taking place.
They contacted the ESB, who said this was not part of the original work and would require a new application to them for removal or rerouting.
The OPW builders then decided it would be quicker to hire a specialist contractor so that they could get back to work on the reconstruction.
In August 2024, it emerged that the reconfiguration and building of the wall had left a shortfall of around 750 blocks of a special type that were needed.
A note said: “The main contractor provided [six] bespoke samples to replicate the existing blockwork.
“Following an extended period of review and a subsequent sixth sample (19 September), [this] was approved and is now in production.”
The delays on the project caused frustration for the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), which lost a large number of parking spaces.
An email from their Director General to the OPW in December 2022 said: “This latest issue has caused the project to come to a complete stop.”
By June 2023, the WRC said there was “no sign of any activity today.”
Another email from an official said: “While I know that the power cable replacement is outside of your control, it is really very frustrating to see the lack of progress on this issue.
“I know that the Director General and senior management of the WRC and the chairman of the Labour Court are concerned about the apparent lack of progress.”
In an information note, the OPW said the two-metre-high boundary wall was around seventy metres in length and was built in the 1960s.
They said because the site was an architectural conservation area, a decision had been made to retain the existing blocks to “rebuild the wall in accordance with the original design.”
On the rebuilding project, they said: “The total costs involved in the wall removal and reconstruction was €201,500 ex VAT in line with the original estimate.”
For the unforeseen electrical cable, they said works on that were now complete.
“The total additional cost due the discovery of the live wire cable was €211,300 ex VAT,” an information note said.
“The fact that the live wire was found, which posed a serious health and safety risk introduced an unforeseen complexity into the project, increasing the time and costs involved.”
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The only thing OPW seems to work at is wasting tax payers money. I hate having to deal with them.
@Ger Whelan: You hate having to deal with them
If you have a minute tell us all you know
@Ger Whelan: definitely agree
@Ger Whelan: We all know that the “Preliminary Estimate” is just a means to get your man the contract. After that, the sky’s the limit as it is the Public purse. Was no survey done to ascertain where the ESB wire ran?. The OPW will bankrupt the country if allowed to continue
@Ger Whelan: who will be sacked because of this major overrun; oh yeah, that would be , nobody!! No money to treat scoliosis children but no problem paying double estimated costs of various govt projects. Sickening.
@Patrick MC Dermott: sensori have the contract with the OPW (40million contract)
@Gerry Caden: plenty of money allocated for Scoliosis- money is not the issue, poor delivery by the HSE is the issue
It’s only taxpayers money
There are 2.2 million taxpayers in the Irish private sector, and there does not appear to be a single individual or party who wants to represent us.
@Gerry Kelly: Just like there are trades union to represent employees, there needs to be a citizens union to represent the people with representations to the state and its institutions.
FFS – are the OPW for real? There is no way it would cost that amount if Joe Soap was building a wall. What do they do, tender out the contract and accept the highest figure? Whoever is in charge needs to be fired because this a disgraceful waste of public money.
@Ann Reddin: Brown envelopes!
@Ann Reddin: sensori have the contract worth 40million with the OPW, that contract was given to them when Pascals buddy owned 50% of the company shortly after the contract was given to Sensori pascals buddy sold off his 50% stake to sisk who owned the other 50%. Nothing to see here lads, half a million for a wall , pulls we are short 750bricks so dont worry paddy taxpayer is footing the bill
@James Brennan: sensori are a facilities management company, not a construction company. They are owned by siskin though. Bottom line is likely that wrong procurement approach was used and therefore a company in facilities management ebd up building walls. Likely they subcontracted the construction to a construction company and stuck a large management fee on the cost.
@Ann Reddin: again and again
Nobody has to take responsibility.
@Ann Reddin: It automatically goes to the firm that was owned by Pascal’s buddy.
Retrospective payments for putting up election poters included.
@James Brennan: some of that is true. Sensori I won’t go there. They are shocking. I mean shocking.
@Brian Hunt: Crypto.
They learned their lessons.
Brown envelopes are so 20th century.
@Ann Reddin: more than likely gave the work to 1 of their political cronies
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: pascals buddy owned 50% of the company when they won the contract and their contract is with the OPW for building works and facilities. The issue is the taxpayer is footing the bill so no accountability, the wall was built in thr 1960′s and the cable was there since then as per the article it was partly incased by the foundation, plus irish water are liable to fix said leak. To many holes in the story, plus how many options did it need to get the 750 extra bricks. The OPW is not fit for purpose
@Patrick Kelly: its all true unfortunately
I think it’s safe to say that the opw shouldn’t receive another cent from the taxpayer as we can see that every project they touch is a complete rip off.
Funny the gov removed a wall on our property and then offered us 4k to rebuild the stone wall…. but their wall is 490k!
Is it possible the OPW can be banned from doing any more government work. There seems to be no accountability for the wasters in this organisation who seem to enjoy spending and wasting taxpayer’s money.
@Gerry Lamont: the problem is the do very little of the work, 40million euro contract given to sennori, pascals buddy owned 50% at the time of awarding the contract. Now lets blame SF and forget about this as no lessons will be learned once the taxpayer pays and no one held accountable and dont for get the 600k+ for a tourist sign in Bantry, as the system works
In fairness are we surprised, 2 billion on a hospital, 400k on a bike shed, 500k on a wall. God forbid if the metro is ever given the government ahead, it will be the most expensive infrastructure project in the history of the world. For a small country, we are world class at wasting money.
So when the built the wall in the 1960′s the knew the cable was there and partly covered it with the foundation? I smell porkies! Pascal buddys now ex firm did the work no more questions need to be asked.
@James Brennan: and who built the original wall with no foundation and at what cost.
@Laurence Mulvihill: its states poorly built foundation.
Mr. Ancillary Costs made himself a nice few quid.
@ecrowley ecrowley: You should see what Ms Sundry Expenses gets.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: touché
I work for an energy supplier and have to schedule works almost daily, many times I’ve had to get the ESB to move poles and the cost is tiny compared to this debacle.
Time to disband the OPW. Not fit for purpose and massive waste of taxpayer money
This scandal is totally par for the course with OPW, it’s a can of worms!
@Brian Hunt: And what give them all a ‘attractive ‘ redundancy package ..plus in many cases I’m guessing ‘early’ retirement so nice lump sum and pension is the outcome for their utter waste of millions of our money and their incompetence … they should be made accountable and if need be sacked… given forms for dole office ..
Hahahaha you couldn’t make this sh1€ up
Fiddle fiddle and and another and a fiddle and an other and on and on…………
Take a look at lovely OPW building in Trim.Built during Noel Dempsys time. Hardly ever a light on in dark days which leads me to believe it is underused. I know when it first opened staff were bussed down from Dublin daily. I kid you ,not!
@Helena Camella Cummins: That’s a different issue. That was what FF called “decentralisation”, which was actually “dispersal”, having nothing to do with decentralisation government, merely dispersing staff and making it less efficient and more costly.
OPW really are absolutely useless. Sack everyone and start again
OPW,, is not fit for purpose .Individuals in their are just running down time for a fat payday and pension ..The plans for the old wall would have the location of the ESB cables .. obviously, nobody checked.. Why was the cost of the leaking water pipe added to the cost..surely this is one of the hundreds around the city and the problem of the Water board..€7000 per liner metre to build a wall. Keeping up with the Shed and the Hut..So what is next for the taxpayers
That’s two outfits that need to go – RTE and the OPW.
Shameful cost
Nice to be friends with Pascal
And it continues. Nobody in the government seems to have the gumption to say STOP!
Who was building the wall? Turnip or the Healy Rae’s? Disgraceful waste of taxpayers money
Every government contractor now needs to be published with all tender documents shown if they say that it’s commercially sensitive go to court and challenge.
We are selling and the amount of stuff we must do and show to potential buyers is head wrecking. So if it’s good for the gander , us , it should be equally good for the goose.
Here’s an Eamon Ryan leggo figure:
Ah go on giza job I could do that
Please let the OPW fix 1 house in Donegal so we can see the true cost of a rebuild
That old nutmeg we discovered a live cable ,yeah right . Anyone recognize the 2 bike sheds builders name being mentioned.
Sensori
Gravy train continues sure it’s only taxpayers’ money, and as per usual nobody knows who signed off on this 70 metre wall
Walls keep people out!
Opwcosting country millions and there private contractors friends connected politicalbrown envolope friends also being going on for years an there immigrant.hotel building friends also corruption in action thanks a million big fellow comes to mind
Blame the voters.
On a side note, the barrister who was cleared of killing a guy on his land has another case pending for assault,…
The real question is how much was spent in 2023/2024 what was it spent on ? Who authorised payments ?
Soon we will be told that, never mind, lessons will be learned. The general public rant and rave for a while, then get over it. Corruption abounds, and those at the heart of it have long ago learned the most important lesson of them all: keep at it, because you will always get away with it. Here comes Christmas, again. Ho! Ho! Ho!
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