SHED SOME LIGHT ON SHOCKING SPENDING INSIDE TOMORROW
Fianna Fail call on €130,000 fitting at Central’s Bank HQ
FIANNA Fail has demanded answers in the Dail over how the Central Bank was allowed to spend €130,000 on a light fitting for its new HQ.
TD Dara Calleary said he read about the shocking splurge in the Irish Mirror and asked the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform how this extravagance could be justified?
Posing the question to Junior Minister Patrick O’donovan, he added: “Will he comment on an issue that arose overnight, the spending of €135,000 by the Central Bank on a lighting installation? Is that a good use of taxpayers’ money?”
Mr O’donovan replied he would look into the matter.
He said: “I do not have the details of the last point mentioned by the Deputy.
“I did not hear of it overnight but I will certainly have my office and the Office of Government Procurement look at it and I will facilitate the Deputy with an answer later.”
Mr Calleary said the lighting outlay was inappropriate when people are still battling to balance their weekly budgets.
He added: “I thank the Minister of State – it is in this morning’s Irish Mirror and I recommend the Minister of State look at it. It sends a very bad signal as people are still struggling.
“We have discussed the shortage of money for section 39 organisations [Statefunded charities] but in some sections of the State there is a level of extravagance.”
The Irish Mirror’s front page story yesterday revealed details of the costs of building the Central Bank’s luxurious new headquarters at Dublin’s quays.
Other sums spent included €2.26million on “meeting room furniture”, €108,000 on catering design and €5,000 for a bike rack.
The total bill for the building is running at €127million, with a final budget of €140million.
The key contractor Walls construction has been paid €71million so far, while Netwatch has billed the State bank €302,000 for security patrols.
Architectural firm HJ Lyons has earned €4million while €46,000 was spent transferring contents from the old HQ on Dame Street.
The Central Bank, which also bought painting Contemporary Ruin by Brian Maguire for €995, said large public projects must include artistic work of value. Yesterday’s Mirror