THE DECISION to spend €220,000 on refurbishing offices for former taoiseach Bertie Ahern was not approved by Ministers, it has emerged, following controversy about the scale of the spending.
The three-room suite of offices, plus bathroom, in an office block across the road from Leinster House on Kildare Street is to be kept for other former taoisigh as they stand down, but remain on as TDs for a period, in years to come.
Up to now, the Houses of the Oireachtas have made individual arrangements for leaders as they stepped down.
Last night, the Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed that €85,000 had been spent on furniture, carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings, while €135,000 more was spent on demolition, refurbishment and construction.
Asked about the cost of the project, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said: "Obviously I don't know the details of it but you have minor capital works going on all the time conducted by the OPW at the behest, I would have thought in this case, of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in terms of upgrading and upkeeping the premises of Leinster House generally and those who use it, so that's as far as it goes, as far as I'm concerned."
The suite consists of an office for Mr Ahern, one for his secretarial staff, a reception and waiting room, toilet and bathroom, a kitchenette, and a small storage room of approximately 130sq m.
The decision to find permanent offices for former taoisigh was taken by the House authorities in conjunction with OPW officials, and the project did not require, need, or get ministerial sanction.
Last night, Labour TD Ciarán Lynch said that it was "not unreasonable" that a former taoiseach should be given offices worthy of his standing, but he condemned the scale of the spending as "extravagant" He compared the outlay with the maximum €30,000 grant for a house to be converted for a disabled person.