Patrick O’Donovan, ex-Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW), has refuted claims of involvement over the €336,000 disbursement on a bike shed at Leinster House, terming it as shameful.
Mr. Donovan, presently the Minister for Higher Education, disclosed his unawareness about the project’s financial implications until he stumbled upon it in the media. He also learnt about the €1.4 million security hut expenditure at the Finance Department after OPW’s John Conlon communicated the details to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members last week.
The Fine Gael TD, while recognising his one-time role as the Minister of State for OPW, refuted claims of being part of such high-level decision-making. “I’m not accountable for it. I didn’t authorise the funds since that doesn’t fall within the Minister of State for Office of Public Works’ docket. The accounting officer for the Office of Public Works is actually the chairman,” he clarified to press members in Dublin on Thursday.
Brian Stanley, the PAC chairman, indicated on Thursday that OPW officials would be questioned later this month about the bike shed’s contentious expenditure. The Sinn Féin TD hinted at an impending dissolution of the Dáil amid rumors of an upcoming general election.
Mr. Stanley pointed out that although the expenditure watchdog had requested OPW’s presence before it on 2nd October, it was postponed to 22nd October due to a scheduling conflict.
Earlier, at a post-budget briefing by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Mr. O’Donovan was asked repeatedly for his views on the various OPW spending scandals. He agreed with Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe when he expressed embarrassment over the sum involved.
The State Minister affirmed his lack of daily involvement in the intricate details of Operations and Public Works (OPW) assignments, such as project-specific scrutiny, maintenance, or roofing. He highlighted his role’s difference from an accounting officer, declaring he neither validates OPW or health and education departmental costs.
For his present department’s budget, Mr Donovan spoke of the government’s pledge to allocate an extra €650 million towards tertiary education from now until 2030. This will aid academic institutions in staff-related expenditures, other outgoings, and the design and delivery of courses for the students’ benefit.
He also suggested that drawing from the excess in the National Training Fund would deliver considerable funding for critical lifelong learning and work-related skill enhancement endeavours. He detailed financial assistance aiming at Small and Medium Enterprises that wish to free employees for training and mature workers desiring to augment their skills. He stressed the necessity for comprehensive retraining for significant segments of the employed population, for thriving in upcoming workplaces.
The State Minister, Niall Collins, forecasted an increased interest and development in apprenticeship undertakings, as the perception surrounding it experiences change. He confirmed that while efforts are ongoing to extend apprenticeships into unconventional sectors, there would be a focus on escalating the count of trainees in traditional crafts. This approach is a part of a broader strategy to address skill deficits in construction and associated sectors. Collins asserted the importance of this initiative in achieving climate change goals and most notably, in reaching housing targets by ensuring a continuous influx of competent labourers.