OPW: Office of Public Works
Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí
OPW Response to GRA Statements April 28 2009
PRESS RELEASE
OPW RESPONSE TO STATEMENTS BY THE GARDA REPRESENTATIVE ASSOCATION
The OPW is surprised and disappointed to hear the statements made by Mr. Michael O’Boyce, President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) regarding the work of the OPW. The OPW has always had an excellent working
relationship with the Garda Authorities and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The GRA in their statement highlighted a small number of specific examples, which they claim is indicative of the work that OPW undertake. These four examples, when put into the context of managing over seven hundred Garda Stations throughout the country and other Garda facilities such as Garda Headquarters, Templemore Garda Training College, Harcourt Terrace etc., would appear relatively trivial. The facts below speak for themselves. OPW is at all times conscious of obtaining maximum value for money for the State
OPW has undertaken a very successful Garda Building Programme in recent years. Since 1995, some €219m has been spent by OPW providing new Garda accommodation including Templemore Garda College and carrying out major extensions and refurbishments to existing Garda Stations. From 2004 to 2008 alone over €136m has been spent on major capital works.
It is alleged by the GRA that OPW has failed to ‘future proof’ new Garda Stations in that many are too small when opened. The design of any Garda Station is based on a brief of requirements provided by An Garda Síochána in the first instance. Occasionally, due to Garda operational requirements, it can be the case that between the award of a construction contract and final completion additional facilities may be required. This is more the exception than the rule.
The facts relating to the examples given by the GRA are:
· Letterkenny Garda Station – Refurbishment of Gym.
The GRA have chosen to extract one item from the overall quotation and are not comparing like for like in their statement. The actual electrical costs alone which were associated with the project, was €10,366.18 excl. VAT. This was a necessary part of the work involved but was not captured in the quotation sourced by the Garda.
· Ballinhassig Garda Station
The statement quoted is inaccurate on two counts:
1. the work involved is for a new shower unit and a new kitchen fit-out, with associated services to provide these facilities
2. the estimate provided was €14,000 excl. VAT (€15,890.00 incl. VAT) for both elements.
This estimate was provided on 21/07/08. We await approval to proceed and the works have not been undertaken.
· Churchill Garda Station
OPW currently have a publicly procured ‘drawdown’ contract for floor coverings, which is at the disposal of all Government Departments and used extensively by An Garda Síochána funded through Garda Procurement Division.
In January 2009, Churchill GS was one of a number of stations in Donegal identified in need of such materials. The cost of €4,050.00 (incl.VAT) included marmoleum, safety floor, stair nosings and sheeting of floors in preparation for floor covering. It should be noted that OPW had no direct involvement at any stage in the processing of this request. This was handled directly between local Garda personnel and the nominated “draw down” contractor.
· Grianan Aileach – National Monument No.140
Pre OPW condition of the site:
A detailed illustrated description of the site can be found in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1837. The remains of the original structure were in a totally collapsed state with the surviving stonework scattered around the hilltop. Between 1874 and 1878, a local expert undertook a rebuilding project on the site of Grianan Aileach. His excavations appear to have revealed the remains of small collapsed sections of the lower level of the outer wall. In the absence of further archaeological evidence for its original appearance, he modelled his rebuild on the relatively intact Staigue Iron Age Fort in County Kerry. (Proceedings of the Royal
Irish Academy Vol1 1879)
History of collapse and the need for a more permanent repair method:
When the site came into State Care approximately thirty years later the restored walls were already in a dilapidated state with extensive collapse of the outer stonework. (76TH annual Report of Commissioners of Public Works 1907/08) Despite OPW efforts to carry out patch repair work to the monument over the next 80 years, OPW files show that the work conducted in
the 1870s was unstable and collapse was reoccurring on a regular basis. In 1989, following another major collapse and short term patch repair work, OPW undertook to monitor the condition of the monument and investigate intervention methods which could stabilise the structure.
Present OPW conservation effort:
In 2001 a detailed archaeological and engineering investigation was undertaken which revealed sections of the line of the disturbed ancient pre-restoration structure and confirmed the shape and outline of work undertaken in the 1870s. Because of the significant amenity value of the restored monument OPW considered that it would not be appropriate or feasible to dismantle and remove the restored stonework and to leave the site in its pre-restoration collapsed state. The engineer recommended that the bulging sections of walling which were liable to collapse should be dismantled and rebuilt. Due to the instability of the underlying surviving stonework, supports were inserted at the base of the rebuilt sections and over the lintols of the internal passageways. All external walling have a central fill which will considerably improve the structures future stability.
The wall tops have been secured in an effort to prevent interference causing stone collapse and the resultant risk to the visitor. The conservation works were completed by January 2008.
The OPW is very proud of the large portfolio of work that it has undertaken on behalf of all our clients, including the Garda Authorities, in the past and continues, despite the current challenging economic climate, to carry out a significant amount of projects in full consultation with our clients’ priorities.
Ends
* For further information contact George Moir, OPW Press Officer, (01) 647 6128 or (087) 231 4537.