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€9 Million Leinster House Revamp

  • 05-03-2010 2:15am
    #1
    OutlawPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭


    Seems a bit lavish and also the quotes appear to be extortionate for the work. Brother's a stone mason and even he gasped at the cost of the pavement work due to stone decay.
    A staggering €9 million has been splashed out on facilities at Leinster House in recent years.

    Expenditure of taxpayers’ money included tens of thousands handed over for Waterford Crystal, €1 million that went on a restaurant and €226,367 paid out for a coffee dock for hungry and thirsty TDs and Senators.

    Perhaps the most shocking is the €1m lavished on the construction of a shop, called Siopa.

    Figures
    Figures released to the Herald through the Freedom of Information Act show that despite the recession, a massive paint job took place throughout the whole of Leinster House at a cost of €682,902.

    At the height of the boom the Office of Public Works (OPW) signed off on the construction of a €1m restaurant, e-voting for the Seanad and for almost a quarter of a million on a coffee dock.

    Surveys revealed that in certain areas, most particularly on the second floor, the uses to which certain rooms were put exceeded load bearing capacity.

    A Herald investigation has discovered that €9m was splashed on other items including:

    - A security gate
    - Two toilets
    - Decking and bollards
    - Waterford Crystal lighting

    The Oireachtas also convinced the now financially strained Dublin City Council to spend €255,000 installing new paving outside the Kildare Street entrance in 2007.

    Another €102,000 was forked out by the Oireachtas itself to improve the stone works at the same entrances "due to stone decay".
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Bonito
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    1st they steal my ****ing passport and now they spend 9 million on some glass, coffee, food and blocks? :mad:


  • #3
    m@cc@
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,526 ✭✭✭m@cc@


    No recession at their house, eh? :mad:


  • #4
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    The Herald "investigates" eh? Did the €1m shop thing not get talked about around a year or more ago?


  • #5
    Rabies
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,258 ✭✭✭✭Rabies


    If its over a few years then it's not that bad. It is a big place after all.


  • #6
    K-9
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,311 ✭✭✭✭K-9


    Because they are worth it :D

    Having said that, people spent €100's of thousands on extensions at, as it turns out, taxpayers expense.

    Mad Men's Don Draper : What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons.



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  • #7
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    I guess a Dail restaurant and a bar was not enough for them.
    They needed a coffee shop too.

    Value for money? See HERE
    There is the usual spin from FF supporters but its another con/rip-off.


  • #8
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,125 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Bonito wrote: »
    1st they steal my ****ing passport and now they spend 9 million on some glass, coffee, food and bollocks? :mad:

    Had to fyp.


  • #9
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    Potholes, Potholes, Potholes, Potholes, Potholes, Potholes, Potholes, Potholes.
    About 9 Million of them there for ya to pour your cash into.


  • #10
    OutlawPete
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,689 ✭✭✭✭OutlawPete


    Stekelly wrote: »
    The Herald "investigates" eh? Did the €1m shop thing not get talked about around a year or more ago?

    In fairness to The Herald and the Daily Mail, without them my heating bill would at least 72% higher.

    But sure, they may be scamps .. but we'd all like to see Richard Littlejohn, Weakest Wink and Jan Moir or Less a bitch in a threesome, right???

    I'm wrong am'nt I     :o


  • #11
    epgc3fyqirnbsx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,228 ✭✭✭epgc3fyqirnbsx


    In fairness, and I usually delight in giving politicians some ****, it wasn't all so straight as that

    Fair enough about the chandelier and that, but these were improvements over 6 years on what was a very old building and there were a lot of improvements to bring it up to H&S level. Right, H&S I don't like either, but living in an old house myself, to put a hole through a wall is an enormous job, its not concrete cavity walls thats being talked about.

    Also, there are something like 100,000 visitors there a year who have to be accomodated for. And all the TD's, their offices and their staff. It's a big building with a huge amount of people go through it. You see more than that spent on new buildings and renovation is usually more difficult and expensive.

    And it is the seat of govt visited by our schools and our foreign visitors, diplomats and potentiall trade partners, so impression does mean a lot.

    (I feel dirty cos I should be revelling in making FF feel uncomfortable about this but fair is fair, I really dont have a problem with it!)


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  • #12
    Seloth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭Seloth


    Yeah...I'm getting sick of all the people moaning people are making about government spending..everylittle nook and cranny they critisice..Ok fine,there are quite a few misconducts,such as the limosine in hethrow or the helicopter from Dublin to kerry followed by a limosine which drove from dublin to pick him up from the helicopter just to drive several miles.But guys this is our governments building...of course it will cost allot..do you want the country to be run in a caravan..we'd have no international respect if we didnt have a good building.

    tbh I even think Leincster houses isnt the greatest one((A new building :D))

    I visited there in 08 and someone working there told me that it was going to be closed as instead of the walls holding the roof up it somhow worked the otherway around or what not and the building could easily collapse so they had to lift it((However they didnt close it as off all the stuff happening))


  • #13
    Mike 1972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,018 ✭✭✭Mike 1972


    Biggins wrote: »
    They needed a coffee shop too.

    Does it serve space cake ?


  • #14
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    Wonder if THAT property will be taken over by NAMA ?


  • #15
    phasers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,159 ✭✭✭✭phasers


    Crystal chandeliers? Noice.
    Next time my car goes over the potholes on the roads near my house I'll be comforted by the fact that TDs are drinking their lattes in style.


  • #16
    Nodster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 953 ✭✭✭Nodster


    Suppose the next thing they'll be calling for is their very own Headshop!


  • #17
    DrumSteve
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    Mike 1972 wrote: »
    Does it serve space cake ?

    no but they serve moonpie


  • #18
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    Seems a bit lavish and also the quotes appear to be extortionate for the work. Brother's a stone mason and even he gasped at the cost of the pavement work due to stone decay.
    He gasped and wished he had a relation that was a politician.

    The building deserves the best I wouldn't argue that, and it would more than likely take specialists to do the necessary work.
    Anything that's not common plasterboard and concrete block is going to be at least twice the price if not 5 times the price or more. Especially when Irish builders can't use the delicate tool that is the sledge hammer and the finish actually has to look good not like some child's project that was dropped and stood on like most Irish building work.

    I have absolutely no doubt they over paid though, to many opportunities to get work for friends and give them a bonus for being friends of people in high laces.


  • #19
    Son Of A Vidic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,370 ✭✭✭✭Son Of A Vidic


    How the Fcuk does a gerry can of petrol and a box of matches cost €9 million?


  • #20
    galwayrush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    I'll do the job for 8 million, providing i don't have to give too many back hands to get the job.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


  • #21
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Mike 1972 wrote: »
    Does it serve space cake ?
    Not sure but I know they took Tripe off the menu.
    It was felt there was enough of that given out for free to the public in the main building.

    In the meantime if when they finish up with not enough food, deserts and standard drink, they can then head over to the basement of the Dept of foreign Affairs for a drink.

    dq0t55.jpg


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  • #22
    maninasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,622 ✭✭✭maninasia


    So they needed 1 million for a shop, couldn't walk across the road to a Centra or Spar?


  • #23
    Doc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,670 ✭✭✭Doc


    maninasia wrote: »
    So they needed 1 million for a shop, couldn't walk across the road to a Centra or Spar?

    Have you seen the size of some of our politicians? Don’t want them getting a hart attack now do you?

    But seriously this isn’t that much to spend and I would assume that its being done with Irish companies giving at least someone in the building industry some jobs.


  • #24
    Lando Griffin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭Lando Griffin


    They could at least put a lawn out front with raised flower beds and some lovely shrubs and a fountain.
    It looks awful with the car park, what other Parliment in the world has a car park out front?


  • #25
    caseyann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,941 ✭✭✭caseyann


    Typical stuff.not surprised in slightest.It should be open to tours to pay for the upkeep of it.Not one person rattling around it who does nothing.Or is it?


  • #26
    sligopark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭sligopark


    OutlawPete wrote: »
    Seems a bit lavish and also the quotes appear to be extortionate for the work. Brother's a stone mason and even he gasped at the cost of the pavement work due to stone decay.
    Another €102,000 was forked out by the Oireachtas itself to improve the stone works at the same entrances "due to stone decay".

    mate's rates for TD buddies ;)


  • #27
    maninasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,622 ✭✭✭maninasia


    Doc wrote: »
    Have you seen the size of some of our politicians? Don’t want them getting a hart attack now do you?

    But seriously this isn’t that much to spend and I would assume that its being done with Irish companies giving at least someone in the building industry some jobs.

    But why not get a commercial operator to pay for it if they want a shop on premises? It's the constant huge waste of money (and no concept of the actual value of money) which has caused the current crisis.
    1 million Euro could be applied to much better use, let shopkeepers run and build shops.


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