More FF dodginess in Dublin, an original report.

dublin | miscellaneous | news report Thursday October 09, 2003 18:24 by Sinn Fein Donaghmede

It seems Fianna Fail and its cosy relationship with its supporters continues unabated despite all the recent inquiries.

The recent Comptroller and Audit General report confirmed many of the suspicions and rumours that have surrounded the saga of Donaghmede Shopping Centre and the proposed Probation Centre.

The report revealed the extent of financial oddities that has followed the life of this planned development. It was revealed by the government financial watchdog that the taxpayers have paid over a half a million euro for the rent of an unoccupied office since 2000 and that the cost of the fit-out of the premises is running at 1300% above its original budget at more than €1.5 million.

Even more disturbing, based on follow up enquires, carried out by Sinn Fein activists in Donaghmede has revealed that;

 The fit out of the offices, being paid for by The Office of Public Works, has included structural work to the building that should be the responsibility of the landlord, Harcourt Developments.
 The rent for the space in the shopping centre drastically exceeds the market norms. The rent package for a year under the current contract runs at almost €27 per square foot per annum. Sinn Fein has established that the market rate for the office should be in the region of €12-15 per square foot per annum.
 The company that owns the shopping centre, Harcourt Developments is owned by a Donegal born businessman, Mr Pat Doherty. Mr Doherty is a well-known Fianna Fail supporter and donor, with a subsidiary company of his, Airspace Ltd, donating some €15,000 to Fianna Fail headquarters in 2001-2002. Mr Doherty appeared before the Moriarty Tribunal in 1999 regarding a payment to disgraced TD Michael Lowry of €35,000 in 1995.
 The total cost to the taxpayer for the siting and renting of a probation office in Donaghmede Shopping Centre over the ten-year lease period will be in excess of €3.5million.

This whole affair stinks and a number of question need to be answered;
1) Was the decision to base the probation centre in Donaghmede made on the basis of the initial fit out cost of being €127,000?
2) Given that the space above the shopping centre had been empty for more than seven years what was the rush by the Department of Justice and OPW in siting the office in Donaghmede Shopping Centre?
3) Why have the OPW being paying nearly €50,000 per annum since June 2000 on a service charge even though the offices are empty and therefore in no need of “services”?
4) Why have taxpayers had to pay rent of €520,358, to date, for an empty office?
5) Why are taxpayers paying for structural improvements on the building of a prominent Fianna Fail donor?
6) When did the tendering process for the fit-out for the out take place? Did the “Bill of Quantities” include the structural work to be done on the building?
7) How much money, if any, did Martin Brady TD pay Harcourt Developments for his election headquarters based in the shopping centre in 1997?

An already aggravated community whose have felt duped and manipulated on the whole issue of the siting of this office is further aggravated by the fact that over the ten year period of the lease, taxpayers will have paid over €3.5 million for rented space. This €3.5 million could have been spent of constructing an entire new purpose designed and built centre in a more suitable location, which would have been beneficial to all.

The probation centre affair exemplifies the cavalier, dismissive and arrogant manner of the PDs; whose department heads in the form of Michael Mc Dowell in Justice and Tom Parlon in the OPW hold the answers to this suspicious affair. Although Parlon and Mc Dowell were not in Government at the time of this deal being pushed through, their silence and lack of concern on the issue suggests their selective approach to cost cutting extends to covering for their Fianna Fail buddies.

Michael Mc Dowell and his rural carbon copy Tom Parlon are part of the self styled party of “fiscal rectitude” and lecture us taxpayers from the comfort of their mansions on the need for efficient government. These two right wing ideologues have the responsibility to give the people of Donaghmede and other taxpayers and explanation to the questions above.