logo
Leinster House bike shed: No value for money assessment carried out on project, audit finds

Leinster House bike shed: No value for money assessment carried out on project, audit finds

Such an evaluation would have allowed other options including a cheaper version or 'doing nothing' to be considered according to the audit seen by the Irish Independent.
There was public outcry after it emerged that €336k was spent on the shelter which fits 18 bikes.
Simon Harris - who was Taoiseach when the controversy first arose - described it as "inexplicable and inexcusable."
The audit to be published later today found an "absence of fundamental good practice."
A report by Deloitte into the project found there are no value for money assessments carried out on certain public projects below €500k.
Such a process would have meant the OPW would have had to outline the reasons for the costs associated with the bike shed which ran to €335,000.
The report to be published this afternoon and seen by the Irish Independent says approval for the project should only have been formalised when such an evaluation was complete.
This would have allowed officials to consider the cost and whether other options including "lower cost alternatives" and "doing nothing" should have been considered.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Robert Pether released on bail after four years in Iraqi jail
Robert Pether released on bail after four years in Iraqi jail

Irish Times

timea day ago

  • Irish Times

Robert Pether released on bail after four years in Iraqi jail

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has been informed that an Australian citizen who has been living in Ireland has been released on bail after spending four years in an Iraqi prison. Robert Pether and his wife Desree have been living in Elphin, Co Roscommon for a number of years. The engineer was helping to design the central bank in Baghdad and was set to work on three hospitals. However, there was a contract dispute between his employer and the Central Bank of Iraq, which led to him and his Egyptian work colleague Khalid Radwan being imprisoned. READ MORE The pair were sentenced to five years and fined $12 million by an Iraqi court. Mr Pether was detained in April 2021 and was found guilty of deception in a 'kangaroo court', according to his wife. Mr Pether has been in an Iraqi jail since then and his family have feared for his health. They have been lobbying the Government for help since his arrest. In a statement the Tánaiste said that he has been 'informed' of Mr Pether's release and whose 'imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern'. The Tánaiste said he had spoken with Iraq's foreign minister Fuad Hussein last month to urge him to release the Australian. 'I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon,' Mr Harris said. 'We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case.' He also confirmed that he had spoken with Ms Pether about the 'positive development' in her husband's case and thanked the ongoing work of Irish officials living in the region on the issue.

Roscommon dad released from prison in Iraq after four years as Harris states bail ‘first step' in return to Ireland
Roscommon dad released from prison in Iraq after four years as Harris states bail ‘first step' in return to Ireland

The Irish Sun

timea day ago

  • The Irish Sun

Roscommon dad released from prison in Iraq after four years as Harris states bail ‘first step' in return to Ireland

AN Irish based man detained in an Iraq prison for the past four years has been released on bail, Tanaiste Simon Harris has confirmed. Robert Pether was arrested in 2021 and jailed over fraud charges. Advertisement The Australian man, who was living in Elphin in Co Roscommon with his wife and children, had been working as an engineer in Baghdad at the time of his arrest. Confirming the dad-of-three had been released on bail this evening Simon Harris said the news was a welcome development in a "long and distressing saga". However, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence said he remains concerned about Robert's health. It comes after the family raised concerns over his health during his time in prison. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS In a statement Simon Harris said: "This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern. "This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends. "Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert's release, called me this evening with the news. "I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon. Advertisement Most read in Irish News "I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development. "I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case." Simon Harris 'does not expect' poll on Irish unity in this decade Harris added: "We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case." The engineer was assisting the designing of the design the Central Bank in Iraq's capital before his arrest in April 2021. Advertisement He had also been working on a number of hospitals before contractual disagreement between the Central Bank and Robert's employer ultimately resulted in his imprisonment. An Egyptian colleague of Robert's was also jailed at the time. Both Robert and his colleague continue to maintain their innocence. Robert's wife Desree and other members of his family have been actively campaigning to get him out since 2021. Advertisement There were hopes that the father would be released earlier this year. However, authorities failed to release Robert and alleged fresh money laundering charges would be brought forward. 1 Simon Harris confirmed the man's release this evening Credit: RTE

Roscommon man Robert Pether detained in Iraq for four years released
Roscommon man Robert Pether detained in Iraq for four years released

Irish Independent

timea day ago

  • Irish Independent

Roscommon man Robert Pether detained in Iraq for four years released

The Australian citizen was detained in April 2021 and was found guilty of deception in a 'kangaroo court', according to his wife, Desree. Mr Pether has now been released from prison and is on bail and remains in Iraq, but Tánaiste Simon Harris said this is the 'first step' in coming back to Ireland. 'This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern,' he said. 'This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends.' The Irish-based engineer was taking part in helping to design the central bank in Baghdad and was set to work on three other hospitals. However, there was a contract dispute between his employer and the Central Bank of Iraq, which saw Mr Pether and his Egyptian colleague end up in prison. Mr Pether has been in an Iraqi jail since, with his family fearing for his health. They have been lobbying the Government for help since Mr Pether's arrest in 2021. 'Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert's release, called me this evening with the news. I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon,' said the Tánaiste. Mrs Pether told the Irish Independent in 2022 how the only communication she had with her husband if he is able to ring her through the prison twice a week, ranging from three to 15 minutes in length. 'Robert is in such a different situation being in prison, we don't have contact with him and I've only seen one photo of him,' she said at the time. 'He's aged so much, he's completely white and he's not well.' Minister Harris also spoke to Mrs Pether tonight and said he is 'concerned' about Mr Pether's health and remaining charges. 'I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development,' he said. 'I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case. 'We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store