I guess that would depend how you define ‘some’.
In Cork alone the renovation of the courthouse on Washington Street went over budget by €23 million. Yes over budget by €23 million. So one has to ask, was it a bad estimate in the first place or were the cost overruns the fault of the contracted builder? Indeed is there any comeback at all? Do the OPW just carry on as before or are the people responsible held accountable?
Parlon’s thoughts are:
Responding to criticism about Cork courthouse, Mr Parlon said “If the PAC or anyone else thinks that job could have been done for €3.8 million they have to be absolutely joking.”
He said the project had been estimated at €3.8 million a number of years ago but because it had dragged on the cost had risen to €26 million. “We will be much more careful about initial estimates for jobs in the future.”
Mr Parlon added that although he was looking forward to reading the report and taking its recommendations on board, he was annoyed “certain bits are being picked out for attention”
Money quote:
He was responding to criticisms contained in a report to be published today by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this afternoon which says more than €19 million has been wasted and €23 million overspent at OPW.
The report says the OPW spent €19 million on five properties to house asylum seekers that were never used…
My confidence in the OPW was brought down a notch or two when their estimates for the high profile Military History exhibition building at the National Museum, Collins Barracks forgot to include any allowance for VAT. The amount involved is close to a million euro.
The architect, with no previous experience of designing museums, also wanted to have a large glass wall, which I’m sure would have been lovely but not exactly ideal for light sensitive museum pieces. It was suggested they could be put in cabinets to protect them and that people could open the doors if they wanted to see them.