€20k spent on National Children’s Science Centre since February with no progress in sight

‘The OPW must present a solution to the extensive issues with this project’ – Paul McAuliffe TD

At this yesterday morning’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Paul McAuliffe, TD for Dublin North West, urged that the OPW must present a solution to the issues arising from the National Children’s Science Centre (NCSC).

The PAC vice-chair expressed great frustration following last week’s meeting with representatives from the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER), when discussing issues that have arisen with the NCSC, among other issues.

Commenting on yesterday morning’s discussion at the PAC, Deputy McAuliffe said: _“Since February, when the OPW were last before the PAC, they have spent another €20k on a building that no Department wants to build. This Committee needs to press a button and say stop, and the OPW needs to present a solution to this issue.

We can’t have a situation where we get to the end of this year having spent thousands on technical documents for a building that will never be built.

We had the OPW and DPER in the room last week, and we don’t have any idea of where strategically the State is going to proceed on this [project].

There appears to be an obligation on the OPW as they have a separate vote from DPER to the Dáil. At the end of the day, a body entered a legal commitment for a large-scale project without having the sanction of DPER. As the C&AG acknowledged – this a problem of their own making. Having visited the premises, I have seen the dereliction at the building that has sat empty for 20 years with no significant purpose for it since UCD moved out in 2007.” _

Concluding, Deputy McAuliffe said: “I again urge all parties to come together to resolve the issues at hand.”