They can't even build a swimming pool?

gandalf

This is unbelieveable after all the Campus Ireland crap, the non-stadium etc it now has become apparent that the National Aquatic Centre construction is sub standard. How many more millions will be pissed down the drain to repair this new facility. At this rate thank god they didn't build the stadium.

I wonder will anyone take responsibility for this farce, will the designers and construction company ever be taken to task over this shoddy and sub standard job. Experience tells me not.

No wonder they cannot sort out the health service when they build leaky pools.

This article got my blood boiling when I read it this morning.

Taoiseach was wrong to dismiss reports of leaks at swim centre

THIS is one of a series of pictures that prove Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was wrong when he dismissed as "inaccurate in most respects" reports in the Irish Independent that the National Aquatic Centre was cracked and leaking.

In fact, the problem has worsened since we published our first report on Monday. New leaks have since emerged at the centre at Abbotstown, west Dublin.

The leaks, in a corridor linking the main competition pool and the leisure pool, have caused soggy tiles to fall from the roof as water drips through.

Pictures published in today's Irish Independent reveal how wrong the Taoiseach was when he dismissed our earlier reports as "exaggerations".

The photographs show water streaming out of cracks in the centre's walls and accumulating in pools.

There is enough water in these pools to keep a shoal of what the Taoiseach called "red herrings" swimming merrily.

Further footage reveals rusting and corroded pipes and numerous large cracks running along walls and concrete floors.

Mr Ahern was also wrong when he told the Dail it was just "the wind" to blame when part of the centre's roof blew off.

It was confirmed yesterday that our report on Tuesday, which said a government-commissioned report concludes that problems with the roof were caused by the centre's failure to comply with normal building regulations, was correct.

Tom Lyons

Details here (requires registration, free!)

aodh_rua

Bertie is still claiming that's its value for money - then again compared to the amount wasted on needless red tape, an army of advisors and infrastructure black holes it'd be cheap at twice the price.

Actually I think the article doesn't make a clear enough link between the government report and the fact that someone in government must've read it. Ahern was still saying at the start of the week that he considers the project a personal triumph; so unless that was all hot air, I presume he knew of the report before he got up and attempted to mislead the Dail when claiming that it was the wind's fault rather than bad design.

mike65

Ahern's such a weasely gob****e with his "wha' me?" face and attitude.

http://www.nac.ie/news/news.htm

The amount of money flushed down the bog by this man and his government is being to rankle with a lot of ppl. There really seems to be no end in sight. I imagine we'd know more but the office of the Controller and Auditor General is proberly understaffed and those who are at work are proberly slack-jawed in amazement at what they are finding.

Mike.

Sleipnir

Aragh he said today that when he said
"The roof blowing off was caused entirely by the wind" he was being, and I quote;

"witty"

LMAO Bertie, you're a howl a minute.

However, seeing the following ad on the bus this morning made me snigger

"Water's Precious. Let's conserve it"

Cork

I think that public sector organisations in this country need to wake up & reform.

Compared to the newer EU states - much of our state sector needs to start delivering.

People need to held accountable for the swimming pool.

Does our public sector even know the meaning of the word?

gandalf

LOL I heard on Newstalk today that the Port Tunnel has over 100 leaks, the farce continues.............

This Government delivers alright, disasters !!!

whiskeyman

Not many first class countries can boast a swimming pool with retractable roof....


Seriously though, stories like this make my blood boil also. I was over in Manchester and Sheffield two weeks ago, and the facililities they have there are just stunning!
Why we never get the same results here, I'll never know.... actually, its probably just down to brown envelopes and back-handers... what Irish Government after Government seem to be built on.....

whiskeyman

gandalf wrote:

LOL I heard on Newstalk today that the Port Tunnel has over 100 leaks, the farce continues.............

All the chewing gum on the city's streets should clog it....

cyclopath2001

gandalf wrote:

LOL I heard on Newstalk today that the Port Tunnel has over 100 leaks, the farce continues.............

Have you seen Dublin's 'Strategic Cycle Network', they spent millions on it & it's useless.

Hotblack Desiato

Cork wrote:

People need to held accountable for the swimming pool.
Does our public sector even know the meaning of the word?

What has the reprehensible pool farce got to do with the public sector?

Designed, built, owned and operated by private sector companies (one of which was an el cheapo UK shelf company).

Accountability starts, and ends, with the Government decision to award the contracts in relation to the building and operating of the pool to companies some of which are of dubious legal status, others of dubious tax compliance, all of which of debatable competence.

But it's just easier to blame the public sector, even if they had nothing at all do to with it...