€17.5m renovating for Leinster House ‘is money well spent’
The cost of renovating Leinster House will top €17.5m, but Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl insists it is money well spent.
Mr Ó Fearghail confirmed the costs of the project are running about 15% over target, but the overrun has been caused by a greater degree of decay to the stone in the old house than expected.
“This is a very large undertaking. This is a very, very old house. When they opened her up, they discovered the degree of decay was greater than what had been anticipated,” he said.
“And where there has been cost overruns, and there has been, they are in the order of about 15% cost, those overruns relate largely to the level of decay on the roof, stone and the structure, being greater than anticipated,” he said.
“You cannot be certain at the start what the outcome will be,” he added.
Compared with many other capital projects when it is completed, the overrun will be very considerably less. We were talking of a project of the order of €15m and we are talking about 15% or 16% of an overrun but the work is not yet completed. But we will be back in situ by the time we come back in September.
Mr Ó Fearghail has also criticised party leaders Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin, Mary Lou McDonald, Brendan Howlin and others for being the “most difficult” to control in the chamber.
He said he has had to write to them on a number of occasions to scold them for their poor adherence to time limits, especially during leaders’ questions, but said his pleadings have so far “fallen on deaf ears”.
“The leaders are the most difficult people to convince to adhere to the time limits that have been set out in standing orders. I have written to the leaders repeatedly, pleading with them to adhere to the three minutes allowed at leaders’ questions but for the most part those pleadings have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
He said the presence of some of the Dáil’s “more colourful characters” add to the energy of debates.
“I enjoy the diversity of it all. Some of the more colourful characters are good to have around as they enliven proceedings while others have a deeply passionately held view which they get up and express and it is important they are allowed to do that. I did give a commitment every one of the other 157 TDs has an equally valid mandate and deserved, needed and bloody well would be heard,” he said.
He acknowledged Micheál Martin has hit out at reforms which sees speaking time given on a proportional basis.
Mr Martin championed the need for reform in 2016 but Mr Ó Fearghaíl has defended the new speaking rights.
