The Office of Public Works (OPW) has come under renewed criticism following revelations that it spent nearly €490,000 on the reconstruction of a 70-meter perimeter wall at Lansdowne House in Ballsbridge, Dublin, significantly exceeding the initial cost estimate.
Escalating Costs and Unforeseen Challenges
Originally projected to cost approximately €200,000, the project—undertaken to replace an unsafe wall at the headquarters of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)—ultimately ran more than twice over budget. The cost escalation was attributed to unforeseen complications encountered during preliminary works, including the discovery of a live ESB cable and a leaking pipe.
The OPW confirmed that these issues led to “very significant delays as well as increased costs.” The demolition and rebuilding of the wall accounted for around €240,000, while additional works related to the live electricity cable added over €250,000 to the final bill.
A breakdown of expenditure, disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed:
- €54,000 paid to the ESB for redirecting the high-voltage cable.
- €61,500 paid to Dublin City Council for road closures and traffic management.
- €82,200 spent on ancillary costs.
Political Fallout and Criticism
The revelation has sparked backlash from opposition parties, who have raised concerns over what they describe as excessive spending by the OPW.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon called the €490,000 cost “eye-watering” and demanded accountability from the OPW. He questioned how remedial works could more than double the initial budget and criticized the prolonged delays, with work halting for over a year before the ESB addressed the live wire issue.
"It is extremely concerning that relatively straightforward issues can derail a project to such an extent—leaving the public on the hook for yet another massive OPW bill," he said.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on public expenditure Mairéad Farrell described the expenditure as “scandalous” and called for a waste audit across government departments.
"Here we go again. People are sick to their back teeth of seeing their taxes wasted by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Nearly half a million euro spent on a perimeter wall is simply beyond belief," she said, questioning the extent of undisclosed government overspending.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín dubbed the OPW “the Office of Posh Walls” and likened the cost to previous high-profile expenditures such as the €336,000 Leinster House bike shelter and the €1.4 million security shelter at Government Buildings.
"We are talking about €490,000 for a wall shorter than a Gaelic football pitch—at a staggering €7,000 per meter. Never before has erecting a few hundred bricks cost so much in Ireland," he said.
He also criticized the OPW’s handling of materials, stating that an initial plan to use salvaged bricks was abandoned midway due to insufficient supply, leading to costly delays in selecting alternative materials.
"The OPW needs to realize it’s not a luxury brand working for a coddled political class. Its objective must be to provide value for Irish citizens," he added, calling for greater accountability.
OPW’s Justification
In response to the criticism, the OPW issued an information note, explaining that the two-meter-high boundary wall had originally been built in the 1960s and was located within an architectural conservation area, requiring efforts to retain its original design.
The OPW confirmed that the core costs of removing and reconstructing the wall amounted to €201,500 (excluding VAT)—a figure in line with initial estimates. However, it acknowledged that the discovery of the live ESB cable resulted in additional costs of €211,300 (excluding VAT).
With the electrical works now completed, the OPW has stated that the project is finalized. However, the controversy surrounding government spending on infrastructure projects is likely to persist, as opposition figures continue to call for stronger financial oversight.
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.