More than €10,000 was spent on refurbishing the Taoiseach’s personal office over the summer, which included replacing a “very poor” and worn carpet, reports Breaking News.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) was brought in after concerns were raised that Micheál Martin’s office no longer met the necessary standards.
Internal correspondence described the carpet as “very worn,” with suggestions that it had originally been fitted around 35 years ago, reports Breaking News.
An email from April noted: “More recently, some very visible holes have also appeared in the joins.”
The brass rail securing the carpet to a wooden border was also in poor shape — “very tarnished” and in parts had turned white.
A staff member from the OPW inspected the site, with the Taoiseach’s team hoping to get the work completed during the summer recess, reports Breaking News.
One message in May read: “We have a very tight window to make this happen over the summer. The carpet and rail are in very poor condition, and I do not want to leave it for much longer.”
However, complications arose due to the brass rail being attached to the floor.
The OPW’s furniture division explained: “The scenario that this creates is that this effectively renders it as a fixed furniture item and as part of the remit that we operate under, we are prevented from engaging in work of this nature,” reports Breaking News.
“While we have in the past sought to have individual items re-lacquered, (ironmongery) that was primarily related to the restoration of period furniture, in contrast the nature and extent of this request goes far beyond our reach,” reports Breaking News.
By June, the Department of the Taoiseach said it was now “essential” that the carpet be replaced.
They inquired whether the discoloured sections of the brass rail could simply be sprayed instead of fully restored.
The facilities manager warned that if the upgrade wasn’t completed during the summer, they might not get another opportunity to do it for another year, reports Breaking News.
Eventually, the work went ahead — including repairs to a marked meeting table, the Taoiseach’s desk, and the headrest of his office chair.
The issue with the chair’s headrest had been noticed by a sharp-eyed OPW employee who spotted the defect while watching a news segment featuring the office.
When asked about the refurbishment, a spokesman for the Taoiseach said: “The works included floor and wood panel varnishing, carpet replacement, carpet rail repair and repairs to the meeting table and desk in the office. No new furniture was installed,” reports Breaking News.
“The costs incurred by [us] … amounted to €5,580 excluding VAT. The works ensured that high visibility areas are kept up to the standard required for a prime minister’s office,” reports Breaking News.
Regarding their role, the OPW said: “[We lead] on the conservation, protection, care, and maintenance across a range of high-profile historic buildings occupied by Government and State Agencies, including the Department of the Taoiseach.
“The costs incurred by the OPW in respect of the works amounted to €4,960 excluding VAT,” reports Breaking News.
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