Office of Public Works projects in Waterford represented only a fraction of its activities in 2001 and 2002, the period in which a friend of Mr Martin Cullen carried out public relations work for the office in the region.
Mr Cullen was minister of state in charge of the OPW when he suggested that Ms Leech, one of his political associates in his constituency of Waterford, might be of assistance to the office.
Ms Leech was hired in November 2001 after the OPW press officer indicated that there was a need for a person on the ground in Waterford. She received €23,610 in fees for work on three contracts in the period to May 2003.
Former Revenue chairman Mr Dermot Quigley found in his inquiry into the OPW contracts held by Ms Monica Leech that there was no precise parallel for such a contract in any other regional location.
In a report published this week, he also said that the business need and reasons for urgency - as a basis for departure from competitive tendering - should have been "fully documented" for the initial and follow-on contracts.
In addition, Mr Quigley said that the view in the OPW "was that there was an exceptional need in Waterford at the time because of the number of significant OPW projects".
According to Mr Quigley, big projects in which Ms Leech was involved included: the renovation of Christ Church Cathedral; the refurbishment of the Government buildings at the Glen; the North Quays redevelopment project; the Tramore Coastguard station project; Kilmacthomas Garda station; and the John's river drainage scheme.
However, the OPW's annual reports for 2001 and 2002 indicate that many other major projects were completed or were in progress or at the planning stage at that time.
The 2001 report said the development of Kilmacthomas Garda district headquarters was one of six such developments in progress in 2001, while the architectural competition for the North Quays was one of seven "special projects" in planning that year.
While the next annual report said the North Quays international architectural and urban design competition was one of two projects completed in 2002, the report said the provision of a venue building at the North Quays was one of nine other projects in planning that year.
In addition, the project at the Glen was one of five "major projects" in progress during 2001. These included major initiatives such as the development of an EU Food and Veterinary Office in Co Meath; refurbishment work on the National Library of Ireland, Dublin; two projects in the National Concert Hall, Dublin; and the Millennium Wing development at the National Gallery of Ireland.
The development at the Glen was one of three office developments completed during 2002. The others were the new Custom House in the Dublin docks and Coolock Community Centre, north Dublin.
