The Office of Public Works (OPW) has doubled down in its defence of a €1.4 million security hut at the Department of Finance in the face of sustained political criticism since the spending emerged.
On Friday it released a detailed document outlining costings, including €60,000 on the metal roof which was likened to former US President Donald Trump’s hair in the Oireachtas this week.
In an accompanying statement, the OPW acknowledged the political scrutiny and public concern, saying the design and delivery followed a Garda review which had identified weaknesses in the Leinster House complex’s security system and “made a recommendation for action”.
“Security at Government Buildings has become an increasingly serious issue in recent years. There have been several incidents in the complex, including vehicles ramming the gates of Leinster House in September 2010 and the gates of Government Buildings in August 2024,” the OPW said.
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It also pointed to extensive environmental control systems which had to be located within the roof to maximise efficiency of space because of the constrained site size, which accounts for the thickness of the roof, as well as integration with campuswide CCTV, communications, power, data and other systems.
The OPW pointed to a planning condition stipulating that the hut had to be “executed to the highest standards so as to complement the setting of the protected structure and the historic area”.
According to the breakdown of costs, the pavilion structure came to €283,231, with total building and site costs coming in at €393,325. Mechanical, electrical and security costs came to €558,118, with €150,282 for security systems and a further €143,376 for physical security features such as ramps, anti-ram devices and turnstiles.
A temporary security hut cost €190,169, while design fees were €121,219. All told, construction costs were just under €1.3 million including VAT, rising to €1.429 million when design team fees and other smaller charges were included.
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