Drainage system under Government Buildings to be dug up due to foul 'odours'

Ken Foxe

Part of the drainage system beneath the €1.4 million security hut at Government Buildings is to be dug up because it is causing a stink for occupants and passers-by.

The Office of Public Works has confirmed that work is set to begin in the coming weeks to rectify a problem with foul odours from the controversial and costly pavilion.

However, they insisted there would be no further bills for the taxpayer from the project.

They said the works would be carried out “under the original contract” which came to a total of €1.43 million.

Asked about what the issue was, the OPW said “odours were detected” in the vicinity of the security pavilion.

A spokeswoman said: “Following investigations by the OPW and the contractor appointed … the cause of the odours has been identified as water remaining in the drainage lines, which was becoming stagnant.

“A proposed solution has been agreed.”

The pavement and granite around the security pavilion have been marked off with work expected to begin by the end of September.

A source said: “It looks like a fairly significant job, and some of the granite has been spray painted, which will have to be cleaned.”

The pavilion was one of three high-cost projects that caused major embarrassment for the OPW over the past year.

Last September, it emerged that a bicycle shelter at Leinster House had cost the taxpayer more than €335,000.

A short time later, the OPW went public on the €1.43 million bill for the security pavilion as details of its cost were about to be revealed under FOI laws.

Then, in January, it was reported that replacement of a wall at the Workplace Relations Commission had cost €490,000.

The controversies saw the OPW dubbed ‘the Office of Posh Walls’ and its chairman was called before an Oireachtas committee.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the cost of the security pavilion was “ridiculous” while Tánaiste Simon Harris said the bill for the bike shed was “inexplicable and inexcusable.”

An internal audit of the bicycle shelter found that there had been no value for money assessment and no proper governance structure for projects worth less than €500,000.

Following its publication, the OPW said the audit would be “a focus for continuing to strengthen ways of working across the [organisation].”

“This report will provide a platform from which control improvements can be made for capital projects into the future,” they said.