John Conlon, chairman of the OPW, stated, "the overall cost of delivering a covered bicycle shelter at Leinster House is completely not acceptable in the wider context of value for money and value for the taxpayer." He emphasized the need for the OPW to seriously reflect on the extraordinary cost of the project.
Conlon highlighted the importance of transparency by saying, "In order to ensure full transparency and to provide independent verification on this project, I intend to seek an external audit." This seeks to reinforce accountability regarding the project's costs.
He stressed future precautionary measures, noting, "all projects between €200,000 and €500,000 will in future be required to have an initial cost and value for money assessment presented to relevant management for approval to proceed." This aims to prevent similar overspending.
Conlon remarked on the communication failure: "The price of the project should also have been communicated to the members of the Houses of the Oireachtas commission, so that the costs could be considered and fully understood." He affirmed that governance needs improvement.
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