OPW: Office of Public Works
Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí
MECHANICAL SERVICES
The function of the Section is to manage and maintain mechanical equipment required primarily by the Arterial Drainage Section, and also to deliver Mechanical Engineering Projects to Government Departments on request.
Workshop facilities are located centrally in Dublin and in three Regions in the country. The Central Engineering Workshop has responsibility for Projects such as manufacture of work boats and barges to marine architect designs, fabrication of steel lock gates for Waterways Ireland, fabrication of reproduction decorative railing for Historic Buildings and Parks. Ship lift and transfer systems for trawler weighing up to 580 tons are fabricated and maintained for Department of Marine state Harbours in Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere and Killybegs. The annual investment in projects is approximately £1.7 million.
The Fleet Management and Regional Workshop network has responsibility for the purchase and maintenance of excavators, mechanical equipment and transport items. Fixed mechanical installations consist of pumping stations, standby electric generators and the salmon weir sluice barrage at Galway city.
The plant fleet consist of 70 specialised excavators e.g. booms reaching 18 m are fitted to 20 ton hydraulic excavators. The majority of vehicles are 4 wheel drive for delivering materials off road. The fleet of 40 vehicles includes articulated machinery carriers in the Regions.
Training and operator certification is provided for the operation of all specialised equipment. The office invests approximately £1 million annually purchasing new machinery and transport to replace items that have reached the end of their economic life.