Security hut costing €1.4m shows lack of respect for taxpayers, TD says

A senior politician has said there was no respect for taxpayer money by public servants after it was revealed that a security hut at an entrance to Government Buildings cost more than €1.4 million.

The Office for Public Works (OPW) has also come under recent scrutiny for spending €336,000 on a glass-covered bike shelter on the grounds of Leinster House in Dublin.

John Conlon, chairman of the OPW, told the Oireachtas Finance Committee on Wednesday that while the work on the security hut involved “fairly significant costs”, the project included a mechanical and electrical system that is connected to the Government Buildings campus.

However, John McGuinness, the chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, said the system has failed people and no responsibility is taken when something goes wrong.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show, the Fianna Fáil TD said there needed to be political leadership in each department and responsibility should be taken by public…