CENTRAL BONKERS
Fury as bank spends €130,000 on light fitting in new HQ
THE Central Bank splashed out €130,000 on a light fitting for its new €140million headquarters, it emerged yesterday.
The big spending at the central Dublin building also included €2.26million on “meeting room furniture”, €108,000 on catering design services and a €5,000 bike rack.
Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary hit out at the artist-designed lighting.
He said: “Such extravagance will horrify normal people for whom €130,000 is a life-changing, Lotto-like
sum. This reflects the lack of cop-on among bankers as to where we are now.”
Along with the Niamh Barry-designed light fitting in the reception area, the Central Bank is in a procurement process for another artwork at the North Wall Quay site.
A spokeswoman for the institution said the cost of the lighting is “in the region of €130,000 plus VAT”.
She added: “This is an estimated cost as the bill of works from the main contractor was not itemised as the contractor was engaged on a total price contract.”
The latest figures from the Central Bank detailing the spend on the project show €127million was forked out to the end of March.
The key contractor Walls Construction was paid €71million while Netwatch received €302,000 for the security bill before the start of works.
Architectural firm HJ Lyons earned €4million and €46,000 was spent on the transfer of the building’s contents.
The Central Bank also bought a piece of art entitled Contemporary Ruin by Brian Maguire for €995.
The Central Bank pointed out there is a requirement with all large public infrastructure projects to include an artistic work of value.