Spending scandals, then and now

What about adding Thornton Hall to the list?

Sir, – Michael McDowell has written an excellent article (“No one at wheel as millions wasted in transport fiasco”, Opinion & Analysis, July 12th), in which he highlights the all-electric buses bought by the National Transport Authority in 2022 for more than €50 million that are still not in use.

He also details other cost scandals including Metro North and the search and rescue helicopters.

I hope his next article will be about the €50 million spending scandal on the site purchase and upkeep of Thornton Hall lands in north Co Dublin. The site was bought in January 2005 for a large prison to avoid overcrowding in our other prisons.

To date, not a brick has been laid. Michael McDowell was at the wheel as the then minister for justice who purchased the site. His version of this spending scandal will be interesting. –

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Yours, etc,

JOHN McKEOWN,

Waterford.