The government body that was recently involved in a scandal over a €335,000 expenditure on a bicycle shelter for Leinster House abruptly withdrew a tender for a new PR agreement worth up to €600,000, just hours after making an announcement about it. On Thursday morning, the Office of Public Works (OPW) posted a request on the e-tender’s website inviting firms to provide proposals for bolstering the agency’s communication, PR, and digital communication work.
The contract should have lasted for three years, according to the tender documents, with a projected cost ranging from €400,000 to €600,000. The documents specified that potential contractors were to offer suggestions on various ways to enhance the OPW’s public image and reputation. The potential contractors were also told to show their comprehension of the OPW’s current operational environment, government policy, central messages, and the intricate dynamics of its role.
OPW Chairman John Conlon had testified before the Oireachtas finance committee less than a day before the tender was revealed, discussing the spending on the bike shelter and revealing that €1.4m had been spent on a new government building security hut at Upper Merrion Street.
The OPW confirmed on Thursday evening, after enquires about the new PR tender, that the tender process has now been halted for a review of its communication support needs. The reason for this sudden change was not provided.
The current communications contract is set to end on November 26th, 2024, according to the statement. The original tender indicated that the contract’s expected outcomes include enhancement of the OPW’s brand and reputation management, underlining its role in areas such as heritage management and conservation, climate change expertise, as well as data management and flood risk modelling.