Tanaiste's toilet repairs cost €50,000
ALMOST €50,000 has been spent on a toilet and shower for Tanaiste Mary Coughlan -- four years after it was believed the plumbing problems had been fixed.
But the money -- paid by the Office of Public Works -- was justified yesterday on grounds of architectural merit. The work at the Tanaiste's office cost €47,000 and it involved replacing leaking pipes and also a thorough building overhaul.
Much of the cost went into remedial works to the structure of the building after corroded pipes caused dangerous decay between the top floor offices of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the ground floor spaces occupied by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
Ms Coughlan and Cabinet colleague Martin Cullen share the Kildare Street building, built and furnished in the Art Deco style, which is a listed fixture on the capital's government block.
But those working on it had to stop for four days after facing dangerous fumes when they uncovered corroded pipes.
Ms Coughlan's spokeswoman said yesterday the Tanaiste's executive bathroom was "an essential repair" that involved "the very fabric of the building".
"The Tanaiste is happy that this issue has been corrected. It was an ongoing problem that first arose four years ago, before her tenure."
The cost of new bathroom installations are falling in these recessionary times, with some plumbers advertising to supply and fit for €3,500.
The work in the Tanaiste's office went to tender in June of this year and a number of quotes were received.
The winning bidder costed the job at €43,000 but this rose by €4,000 because the continuing use of the offices meant the job took longer than planned.
The break in work, to allow for the dispersal of fumes, is also understood to have contributed to the overrun.
Fine Gael Enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar has said the episode is unfortunate in that it "looks like another example of Mary Coughlan flushing taxpayers' cash down the toilet".
He pointed out that schools throughout the country are being told that broken toilets will not be fixed, yet the job was done for the Tanaiste.
- Senan Molony
