FIX THE DAIL DRIPS
Water farce as storm hits area not included in €17m scheme Leaks have been managed using moisture mats
SPOKESWOMAN OIREACHTAS YESTERDAY
LEINSTER House has a leak in the roof despite a €17million refurbishment bill for the taxpayer last year.
The embarrassing drip is just yards from the Dail Chamber at the top of the famous staircase.
But despite flashing the cash and going 20% over budget, the Oireachtas had mats out to soak up the rainwater during Storm Brendan earlier this week.
Pictures sent anonymously to the Irish Mirror also show the wooden window frame near the leak is rotting and falling apart.
And when the weather was bad before Christmas, at one stage there was a bucket on the floor to collect rain coming through the hole in the roof by the window.
A spokeswoman for the Houses of the Oireachtas said this area of Leinster House was not included in the recent restoration scheme which was limited to “Georgian Leinster House”.
INDEPENDENCE
The leak is by the bay window on the balcony beside the Dail that hosts portraits of former taoisigh such as Charles Haughey and Garrett Fitzgerald.
It is a popular stop-off spot for tours and offers a panoramic view over the Leinster lawn and Merrion Square.
The Oireachtas spokeswoman said: “There have been no leaks in Georgian Leinster House since the restoration work took place.
“No invoice has been submitted for leak repairs.
“When leaks have occurred at the location you referred to they have been managed locally using moisture mats to absorb water. “No external contractor has been engaged.” Leinster House dates back to 1745 and was the old city home of the Duke of Leinster before the Dail and Seanad were moved there in the 1920s after independence.
The cost of the refurbishment was supposed to come in at €14.8million, but the latest estimate from the Office of Public Works was that it was heading past €16.6million.
The Irish Mirror revealed last year €1.5million of the total was for the repair and restoration of 28 fireplaces. However, a fire can never be lit because of strict health and safety regulations.
Leinster House hosts more than 50,000 people a year through its programme of public tours which are available on days when the Dail and Seanad are not sitting.