Dear Sir, – The news article you recently published titled, “Ex-OPW Minister Claims Unawareness of Bicycle Shed Expenditure Until Media Exposure” (4th October) once more uncovers serious issues in our governance system, where the roles and accountability of ministers and high-ranking officials intermingle and often become muddled.
As the former State Minister for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan asserts that the choice to fork out €1.4 million on a security booth did not involve him. He contends, “I was not in charge of it. I didn’t approve the funds; that’s not the task of the State Minister.” True to his word, this decision wasn’t under his patronage.
However, there is no denying that his responsibilities during his tenure, as well as those of his predecessors and the current Minister, hinged on recognising and implementing effective measures to avoid constant episodes of fiscal mismanagement and OPW property prodigality that have persisted over the last ten years, at the very least.
Various instances of these behaviours resulted in multi-million euro losses to taxpayer funds and garnered media attention, demonstrated by an RTÉ Prime Time programme in 2021 that shed light on these egregious actions along with several Public Accounts Committee inquiries and audits by the Comptroller & Auditor General.
Given these circumstances, it’s slightly unnerving that Mr O’Donovan appears to have done little or nothing during his term as the OPW’s State Minister to instigate the much-needed systemic transformation capable of stamping out these recurring, pricey mishaps.
Thus, he cannot completely absolve himself of accountability for the comical bicycle shed and security booth debacle. – Yours faithfully,
EDDIE MOLLOY,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.