‘Series of mistakes’ to blame as cost of Dáil printer rises to €1.8m

THE cost of the blunder that led to the purchase of a new Dáil printer that was too big to fit in an Oirechtas room has now reached €429,000.

The latest report into the fiasco details estimated costs of the printer project and associated building works of more than €2m.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will discuss the latest information provided by Clerk of the Dáil Peter Finnegan when it meets today.

Mr Finnegan’s report says there’s “absolutely no denying that a series of mistakes were made during the project”.

But he said he’s satisfied they arose from “human error” and were “honest mistakes made by staff” seeking to improve the printing services.

He insisted the business case for purchasing the printer “is still sound”.

PAC members last night highlighted the growing cost, which includes €100,000 spent on the outsourcing of printing due to a delay in the installation of the new machine.

Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry said his focus was on the costs directly attributable to the mistake of just over €429,000.

This includes €314,453 on building work needed so the printer – which is still not in use – would fit in the room. A previous figure of €229,000 provided to the PAC did not include VAT and some

PAC will discuss report by Dáil Clerk Peter Finnegan

additional costs related to the structural work. Storage costs for the printer after it was bought but could not be installed came to €14,760. And there was the €100,000 in outsourcing costs for printing.

Mr MacSharry said: “People who are responsible for public funds need to treat that money like their own... in terms of applying the sort of care and due diligence that you would if you were buying a cooker for your own house.”

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy addressed the outsourcing costs, saying it was essential the printer was fully functioning without further delay “if that cost is to be contained”.

She also said that the uses for the printer need to be examined and that: “Any spare capacity available must be used to reduce the need to outsource, thereby reducing costs.”

Mr Finnegan’s report puts the cost to the Oireachtas of purchasing and installing the controversial printer at almost €1.8m. This includes the printer itself and other related equipment like folding machines and guillotines at a combined cost of €1,369,605.

The Office of Public Works also took the opportunity to carry out other “necessary works” on the building – Kildare House – at the same time at an estimated cost of €221,325.

Costs totalling more than €2m are detailed in the report.

The report says the cost of the new Komori printer, which comes to €994,000 including VAT, is less than €1,240,000 spent on Heidelberg machinery bought in 2004.

It also outlines how printer manufacturer Komori noted that the head room for the printer was “limited” during the tendering process in April 2018. Mr Finnegan says: “I am advised that this note was missed by the evaluation team.”

He said emails from Komori, that included drawings that showed the existing room height was lower than the recommended ceiling height for the printer, did not raise concerns about head height.

The height of the room is said to have been discussed when Komori representatives visited the Oireachtas printing facility in May 2018. The report says “those present were satisfied that sufficient height was available”.

Mr Finnegan says “there are important lessons to be learned from this project”.