Sir, – The Irish Times reports that the Public Accounts Committee is to carry out a comprehensive review of cost over-runs of millions of euro in OPW-managed projects (Harry McGee ,"Spending watchdog to examine five major cost over-runs at OPW", News, December 27th).
Is this really necessary?
The €2.5 million overspend on the refurbishment of Leinster House was ascribed to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Isn’t that the answer in every case?
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The relocation of the staff of the Department of Health in Dublin from Hawkins House to Miesian Plaza (an arduous expedition of 1.5 miles) cost €20 million more than budgeted.
There were two unforeseen circumstances at play here.
The first was a staff dispute which resulted in “ineffective expenditure” of €11 million (this is, I think, is a technical term for what we in this other world would call a waste of money).
The second was the decision to use “a traditional form of space measurement” that did not tally with the standard of measurement used by the owner of the building.
Since this second unforeseen circumstance cost the taxpayer €9 million, it would appear that the owner’s measurements were correct and the OPW’s, traditional or not, were wrong.
Was the measuring tape here the one used to measure the ceiling height in the print room near Leinster House? – Yours, etc,
PAT O’BRIEN,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.