€60,000 spent on roof of security hut

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The roof of a €1.4 million security hut near Government Buildings cost more than €60,000, it has been revealed.

The price of the noteworthy feature, which has been likened to former US president Donald Trump’s hairstyle, was published in new documents from the Office of Public Works (OPW).

There was widespread outrage after it was revealed that work to build a bike shed on the grounds of Leinster House cost €336,000, while the security hut near Government Buildings cost €1.4 million.

In a table outlining the total costs of the latter project, the overall pavilion structure accounted for 283,231 euro of the final price tag – with €110,094 spent on external works for the site including drainage and roadworks.

More than half a million euro was spent on mechanical, electrical and security systems. This included €150,000 on security systems like CCTV and access control, and €143,000 on barriers, anti-ramming structures, gates and turnstiles.

Total works for a temporary security during the project cost €190,000.

The OPW said it “acknowledges the public concern and political scrutiny about the high costs” of the project.

Noting frustration and anger over the pricetag, the body said the design and the delivery of the project followed a security review involving gardaí which had identified weaknesses in the Government Buildings complex.

The OPW said: “This security facility is the main access point for vehicles accessing the campus and is the vetting area for several critical locations within the complex.

“This is a critical piece of infrastructure for the essential security of the Government buildings complex. It commenced on site in August 2023 and was completed in February 2024.”

The OPW said security at Government Buildings has become “an increasingly serious issue” following ramming incidents.

It said the cost of the project included a significant mechanical and electrical system that is connected to the Government Buildings campus, as well as underground works and ventilation systems.