PLANS TO build an underground car park under Leinster House must be indefinitely deferred and the temporary car park on Leinster Lawn removed, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has said.
Leinster Lawn, which faces Merrion Square in front of the Houses of the Oireachtas, was replaced by a car park in July 1998 as a temporary measure during the construction of new facilities for Leinster House.
The planning permission for the work at the time required the lawn be reinstated after the works on Leinster House were completed in 2000. However, this was never done. The OPW deferred the restoration of the lawn on the grounds that an underground car park was planned for the politicians and staff of the Houses.
Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW Martin Mansergh told the last meeting of the Oireachtas Commission, a 10-member group of TDs and Senators which is responsible for the facilities at Leinster House, that there was no money for the car park and it could not proceed in the medium term. However, the OPW was committed to honouring the planning requirement to restore the lawn.
Minutes of the meeting show the commission was asked to either request that the OPW restore the lawn or seek an extension of planning permission for the temporary car park. The commission, chaired by Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue, questioned the value for money of restoring the lawn and incurring the additional expense of leasing necessary car parking spaces for Oireachtas members.
Instead of making a decision the commission has asked the OPW to report back on a number of issues. The commission is seeking an assurance that if the lawn is restored members will still have parking on Leinster House grounds; that staff who would lose their parking spaces as a result would have “alternative parking solutions”; and that the OPW conduct an analysis of current usage of the Leinster Lawn parking.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label office of public works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label office of public works. Show all posts
Monday, 26 January 2009
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Decentralisation lands not for sale
THE OFFICE of Public Works (OPW) has said there are no plans to sell land purchased as part of the Government decentralisation scheme, but that it will consider alternative uses for some sites.
The Government has spent €230 million on decentralisation, with over €220 million of that going on property costs. More than 2,500 public service posts have to date been moved to new locations outside Dublin.
The figures emerged following parliamentary questions by Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
He said the OPW spent €10.1 million on two derelict sites in Dungarvan and Waterford which would be left derelict because of the shelving of the decentralisation programme in the Budget.
He said he had approached the OPW and asked that the land be made available for investment projects in the area. He had also spoken to the IDA which had agreed to list the sites as available to possible investors.
"The Government paid a premium rate for many of these sites," he said. "They must be pragmatic and practical about these sites and make them available for development. It's common sense."
He said if decentralisation ever did go ahead, which was unlikely, other sites could be found.
"The OPW is open to it. They've agreed to take proposals from local authorities and deal with the IDA," Mr Deasy said.
He urged the OPW to take the same attitude toward other decentralisation sites around the country.
A spokesman for the OPW said the decision on the sites in Waterford had been deferred until 2011, but decentralisation could well go ahead. "If another proposal is put to us, we will consider it," he said.
"But we have no plans to dispose of the site we acquired."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Government has spent €230 million on decentralisation, with over €220 million of that going on property costs. More than 2,500 public service posts have to date been moved to new locations outside Dublin.
The figures emerged following parliamentary questions by Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
He said the OPW spent €10.1 million on two derelict sites in Dungarvan and Waterford which would be left derelict because of the shelving of the decentralisation programme in the Budget.
He said he had approached the OPW and asked that the land be made available for investment projects in the area. He had also spoken to the IDA which had agreed to list the sites as available to possible investors.
"The Government paid a premium rate for many of these sites," he said. "They must be pragmatic and practical about these sites and make them available for development. It's common sense."
He said if decentralisation ever did go ahead, which was unlikely, other sites could be found.
"The OPW is open to it. They've agreed to take proposals from local authorities and deal with the IDA," Mr Deasy said.
He urged the OPW to take the same attitude toward other decentralisation sites around the country.
A spokesman for the OPW said the decision on the sites in Waterford had been deferred until 2011, but decentralisation could well go ahead. "If another proposal is put to us, we will consider it," he said.
"But we have no plans to dispose of the site we acquired."
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Electric scooter plan for Phoenix Park
Footpath scooters could soon be whizzing around Dublin’s Phoenix Park, it emerged today.
The Office for Public Works (OPW) wants firms to provide Segway-type vehicles for hire so people can travel along the network of cycle paths which run for several miles.
A Segway is a two-wheeled personal transportation device with an electric motor. It is used in parks, college campuses, golf courses and airports around the world.
Users can control the scooter via its handlebars and by leaning forwards or backwards.
The OPW said: “We are inviting expressions of interest in operating a service using these vehicles to allow members of the public to use the network of cycle lanes and footpaths in the Phoenix Park.
“Based in the replies received the OPW may proceed to award a contract to operate such a service on a pilot basis for one year.”
Interested firms must submit a business plan and have employer’s liability insurance. The successful operator must also comply with health and safety standards.
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
The Office for Public Works (OPW) wants firms to provide Segway-type vehicles for hire so people can travel along the network of cycle paths which run for several miles.
A Segway is a two-wheeled personal transportation device with an electric motor. It is used in parks, college campuses, golf courses and airports around the world.
Users can control the scooter via its handlebars and by leaning forwards or backwards.
The OPW said: “We are inviting expressions of interest in operating a service using these vehicles to allow members of the public to use the network of cycle lanes and footpaths in the Phoenix Park.
“Based in the replies received the OPW may proceed to award a contract to operate such a service on a pilot basis for one year.”
Interested firms must submit a business plan and have employer’s liability insurance. The successful operator must also comply with health and safety standards.
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Phoenix Park bicycle hire service put out to tender
The Office of Public Works has invited tenders for a bicycle hire service in the Phoenix Park, as part of plans to develop a network of "cycle-friendly" and "cycle-only" lanes within the 1,700-acre demesne.
The Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe.
The tender, which was advertised on the Government's e-tendering website this week, follows a pilot project in the park last summer.
There are currently 24km of cycle routes in the Phoenix Park and, according to the OPW, and this is to be extended by about 18km over the coming year.
A spokesman said the intention was that bicycles could be hired for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of a half- day, but the OPW was prepared to be flexible in its approach.
"We were very pleased with a pilot project run by McQuaid's cycles last summer and we would like to encourage more families to take up cycling in a safe environment in the park," said a spokesman.
The OPW plan is in line with the Dublin Transportation Office strategy of encouraging people to walk or cycle. According to recent research carried out by the transport body, 52 per cent of people use their car as their most frequent mode of transport.
The research also found:
• 40 per cent of car owners don't consider any transport options other than the car;
• 27 per cent of respondents said the car was preferable for short journeys of a mile or less;
• Almost half of all car owners (47 per cent) take their car on these short journeys;
• 55 per cent of short journey car users said they were unlikely to consider walking instead, and
• Only 3 per cent of these short journey car users said they were very likely to consider walking for short journeys of a mile or less, instead of using the car.
However, under a recent traffic management plan for the Phoenix Park, restrictions to private car use are to be put in place.
A number of roads have already been made one way or turned into cul-de-sacs in a bid to reduce vehicle short-cutting.
The OPW is also currently in discussions with Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus about allowing the companies to divert some of their longer-distance services through the park, possibly at peak times.
Also under consideration is an OPW "own bus service", which would travel a circuitous route from Heuston Station through the park.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe.
The tender, which was advertised on the Government's e-tendering website this week, follows a pilot project in the park last summer.
There are currently 24km of cycle routes in the Phoenix Park and, according to the OPW, and this is to be extended by about 18km over the coming year.
A spokesman said the intention was that bicycles could be hired for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of a half- day, but the OPW was prepared to be flexible in its approach.
"We were very pleased with a pilot project run by McQuaid's cycles last summer and we would like to encourage more families to take up cycling in a safe environment in the park," said a spokesman.
The OPW plan is in line with the Dublin Transportation Office strategy of encouraging people to walk or cycle. According to recent research carried out by the transport body, 52 per cent of people use their car as their most frequent mode of transport.
The research also found:
• 40 per cent of car owners don't consider any transport options other than the car;
• 27 per cent of respondents said the car was preferable for short journeys of a mile or less;
• Almost half of all car owners (47 per cent) take their car on these short journeys;
• 55 per cent of short journey car users said they were unlikely to consider walking instead, and
• Only 3 per cent of these short journey car users said they were very likely to consider walking for short journeys of a mile or less, instead of using the car.
However, under a recent traffic management plan for the Phoenix Park, restrictions to private car use are to be put in place.
A number of roads have already been made one way or turned into cul-de-sacs in a bid to reduce vehicle short-cutting.
The OPW is also currently in discussions with Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus about allowing the companies to divert some of their longer-distance services through the park, possibly at peak times.
Also under consideration is an OPW "own bus service", which would travel a circuitous route from Heuston Station through the park.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Irish Heritage Trust to care for Fota House
FOTA HOUSE in Cork is set to become the first historic Irish building to come under the stewardship of the Irish Heritage Trust — an organisation established in 2006 to preserve properties of historic and cultural significance.
The complex is currently operated by the Fota Trust Company with the gardens managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It is intended that the Irish Heritage Trust will take ownership of the house in the next few weeks when the legal arrangements are finalised.
The OPW will continue to manage the gardens for a further five years when the heritage trust will then assume responsibility for them.
The trust was established in 2006 with a mandate to acquire and present to the public major important heritage properties where the State does not wish to acquire them directly and where there is imminent risk to their heritage value.
Fota House, the centre piece of the great estate of the Earls of Barrymore, survives today with its architectural heritage and detail fully intact. It was created by Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvious, two of the most influential and celebrated architects of their era. The house is set in its original island park with its famous arboretum and renowned gardens that were developed in the second half of the 19th century.
For the past 14 years, the house was managed by the Fota Trust, which was established by University College Cork, represented by Professor Tom Raftery, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday he was delighted the trust had acquired its first property, which was of national importance in heritage terms.
The Green Party’s Dan Boyle said the purchase was a recognition of an important amenity for the people of Cork, in particular.
“I applaud the State’s willingness to intervene in this way to protect the future of Fota House and Gardens. It will generate considerable visitor interest and add significantly to the tourism potential of the area.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The complex is currently operated by the Fota Trust Company with the gardens managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It is intended that the Irish Heritage Trust will take ownership of the house in the next few weeks when the legal arrangements are finalised.
The OPW will continue to manage the gardens for a further five years when the heritage trust will then assume responsibility for them.
The trust was established in 2006 with a mandate to acquire and present to the public major important heritage properties where the State does not wish to acquire them directly and where there is imminent risk to their heritage value.
Fota House, the centre piece of the great estate of the Earls of Barrymore, survives today with its architectural heritage and detail fully intact. It was created by Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvious, two of the most influential and celebrated architects of their era. The house is set in its original island park with its famous arboretum and renowned gardens that were developed in the second half of the 19th century.
For the past 14 years, the house was managed by the Fota Trust, which was established by University College Cork, represented by Professor Tom Raftery, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday he was delighted the trust had acquired its first property, which was of national importance in heritage terms.
The Green Party’s Dan Boyle said the purchase was a recognition of an important amenity for the people of Cork, in particular.
“I applaud the State’s willingness to intervene in this way to protect the future of Fota House and Gardens. It will generate considerable visitor interest and add significantly to the tourism potential of the area.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Irish Heritage Trust to care for Fota House
FOTA HOUSE in Cork is set to become the first historic Irish building to come under the stewardship of the Irish Heritage Trust — an organisation established in 2006 to preserve properties of historic and cultural significance.
The complex is currently operated by the Fota Trust Company with the gardens managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It is intended that the Irish Heritage Trust will take ownership of the house in the next few weeks when the legal arrangements are finalised.
The OPW will continue to manage the gardens for a further five years when the heritage trust will then assume responsibility for them.
The trust was established in 2006 with a mandate to acquire and present to the public major important heritage properties where the State does not wish to acquire them directly and where there is imminent risk to their heritage value.
Fota House, the centre piece of the great estate of the Earls of Barrymore, survives today with its architectural heritage and detail fully intact. It was created by Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvious, two of the most influential and celebrated architects of their era. The house is set in its original island park with its famous arboretum and renowned gardens that were developed in the second half of the 19th century.
For the past 14 years, the house was managed by the Fota Trust, which was established by University College Cork, represented by Professor Tom Raftery, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday he was delighted the trust had acquired its first property, which was of national importance in heritage terms.
The Green Party’s Dan Boyle said the purchase was a recognition of an important amenity for the people of Cork, in particular.
“I applaud the State’s willingness to intervene in this way to protect the future of Fota House and Gardens. It will generate considerable visitor interest and add significantly to the tourism potential of the area.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The complex is currently operated by the Fota Trust Company with the gardens managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
It is intended that the Irish Heritage Trust will take ownership of the house in the next few weeks when the legal arrangements are finalised.
The OPW will continue to manage the gardens for a further five years when the heritage trust will then assume responsibility for them.
The trust was established in 2006 with a mandate to acquire and present to the public major important heritage properties where the State does not wish to acquire them directly and where there is imminent risk to their heritage value.
Fota House, the centre piece of the great estate of the Earls of Barrymore, survives today with its architectural heritage and detail fully intact. It was created by Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvious, two of the most influential and celebrated architects of their era. The house is set in its original island park with its famous arboretum and renowned gardens that were developed in the second half of the 19th century.
For the past 14 years, the house was managed by the Fota Trust, which was established by University College Cork, represented by Professor Tom Raftery, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday he was delighted the trust had acquired its first property, which was of national importance in heritage terms.
The Green Party’s Dan Boyle said the purchase was a recognition of an important amenity for the people of Cork, in particular.
“I applaud the State’s willingness to intervene in this way to protect the future of Fota House and Gardens. It will generate considerable visitor interest and add significantly to the tourism potential of the area.”
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Let's leave poor Tom alone and debate the real issue
LO AND behold the Labour party are upset. "Conflict of interest," they say. Who's conflicted then? Tom Parlon former IFA leader, Minister for State at the Office of Public Works (OPW) and champion of decentralisation, that's who.
What did Tom do to incur their wrath? Well, he up and left Irish politics to take a job as director general of the Construction Industry Federation. Labour's Health spokeswoman Liz McManus believes Tom now has a "serious conflict of interest."
What has got one our country's brightest opposition politicians into such a twist? Let's try and guess in this hypothetical scenario: a former junior minister is hired by a lobby group to deal with his former government department, the Office of Public Works. The OPW buys and sells lands on behalf of the State as part of its many functions.
Our fictional former minister would be aware of lands up for grabs. Maybe our man knows things others don't. Baloney. Every local hack from Listwoel to Belmullett knows where the OPW are interested in buying or selling.
Ah yeah, says you, but with knowledge and connections our man could get preferred treatment in the sale or purchase of said lands. More baloney. The advantage of dealing in the State's physical assets is that they are sold off as a result of a rigorous tendering process. You puts in your bids and may the best man win. Besides, the minister doesn't deal with this area, he is a figurehead not a manager.
But what about influencing overall government policy? Our man is connected, knows high ranking civil servants in the OPW. Our man eats beef with ministers and all that.
Baloney. This theory ignores the culture of civil service in Ireland.
Get this straight - civil servants worry about other civil servants. They do not worry about politicians, especially ones who lost their seat. Civil servants are peer driven. They may be guilty of being conservative, of moving slowly, of giving minimal answers to Parliamentary Questions but they are not corrupt.
Remember the series Yes Minister? Most of these lads would dance around their junior minister. They are safe in the knowledge that said politician will soon be out the door, courtesy of Joe Public the voter or at the whim of the Taoiseach.
Policy is decided by the new minister and government of the day. Our lad ain't at the table anymore.
However Labour's Liz McManus has done us a service by touching on the real underbelly of this issue: the relationship between politicians and private commercial interest groups. At the heart of the matter lies the suspicion that one is indebted to the other and thus a corrupt advantage accrues.
On the opposite side is the belief that it is fair and reasonable to employ and consult with people of skill and capacity notwithstanding their political/commercial connections. In January 1993, the Labour party under Dick Spring went into government with Albert Reynolds' Fianna Fail Party.
Labour brought in a few friends with them. Programme managers they were called. Were they publicly elected? No. Did they go through a normal equal opportunities job posting process? No. Were these positions open to suitably qualified supporters of other parties? No. Were they drawn from business and other professional interest groups? Well yes they were. Were they in a position to influence government policy? Almost certainly. Were they men of integrity - absolutely.
Irish political life would be the poorer without the contribution of men like Fergus Finlay and Greg Sparks. They frequently outsmarted Fianna Fail. They were, however, allies of and appointed by Labour government ministers.
Which is more worthy of debate? A politician leaving office to go to a lobby group or someone from the commercial sector coming in to influence government policy?
Let's go back to another grand coalition. December 1994, and John Bruton leads a Labour Fine Gael and Democratic Left grouping into power. As you look at your wage slip and the tax take, think about the cost of running over 130 state bodies, most of which have political nominees on their boards.
Back then it was the three-two-one rule. On these state boards three seats went to Fine Gael, two to Labour and one to the Democratic Left, so the story goes. And yes, before you all squeal, no better boys than Fianna Fail for advisers, programme managers and make-up artists and the like.
There were some very good appointments under Labour patronage. The eminently capable Brendan Halligan, economist and Labour party veteran, was appointed to Bord na Mona. However let's reacquaint ourselves with the old health boards, "the 11 kingdoms" as they were known. I will spare Labour, and indeed all parties, the embarrassment of naming some of the gobdaws they put onto those boards.
These were boards that affected our health, quite often run by muppets with no skill other than that of brown-nosing. (There were notable exceptions like the late Toddy O'Sullivan from Cork.)
So let's leave Tom Parlon alone. Alas poor Tom has gone from fields of gold to bricks and mortar and suffered the indignity of decentralisation.
You may or may not admire Tom, but he is as straight as they come. Let's have a serious debate about lobby groups, political funding, civil appointments and the role of brokerage. But as we do, remember the less obvious spheres of influence. These lads are around a lot longer than Tom and you won't be seeing them jumping out of a haystack anytime soon.
Eamon Keane presents the Lunchtime Show on Newstalk 106-108FM.
Eamon Keane
Sunday Independent
What did Tom do to incur their wrath? Well, he up and left Irish politics to take a job as director general of the Construction Industry Federation. Labour's Health spokeswoman Liz McManus believes Tom now has a "serious conflict of interest."
What has got one our country's brightest opposition politicians into such a twist? Let's try and guess in this hypothetical scenario: a former junior minister is hired by a lobby group to deal with his former government department, the Office of Public Works. The OPW buys and sells lands on behalf of the State as part of its many functions.
Our fictional former minister would be aware of lands up for grabs. Maybe our man knows things others don't. Baloney. Every local hack from Listwoel to Belmullett knows where the OPW are interested in buying or selling.
Ah yeah, says you, but with knowledge and connections our man could get preferred treatment in the sale or purchase of said lands. More baloney. The advantage of dealing in the State's physical assets is that they are sold off as a result of a rigorous tendering process. You puts in your bids and may the best man win. Besides, the minister doesn't deal with this area, he is a figurehead not a manager.
But what about influencing overall government policy? Our man is connected, knows high ranking civil servants in the OPW. Our man eats beef with ministers and all that.
Baloney. This theory ignores the culture of civil service in Ireland.
Get this straight - civil servants worry about other civil servants. They do not worry about politicians, especially ones who lost their seat. Civil servants are peer driven. They may be guilty of being conservative, of moving slowly, of giving minimal answers to Parliamentary Questions but they are not corrupt.
Remember the series Yes Minister? Most of these lads would dance around their junior minister. They are safe in the knowledge that said politician will soon be out the door, courtesy of Joe Public the voter or at the whim of the Taoiseach.
Policy is decided by the new minister and government of the day. Our lad ain't at the table anymore.
However Labour's Liz McManus has done us a service by touching on the real underbelly of this issue: the relationship between politicians and private commercial interest groups. At the heart of the matter lies the suspicion that one is indebted to the other and thus a corrupt advantage accrues.
On the opposite side is the belief that it is fair and reasonable to employ and consult with people of skill and capacity notwithstanding their political/commercial connections. In January 1993, the Labour party under Dick Spring went into government with Albert Reynolds' Fianna Fail Party.
Labour brought in a few friends with them. Programme managers they were called. Were they publicly elected? No. Did they go through a normal equal opportunities job posting process? No. Were these positions open to suitably qualified supporters of other parties? No. Were they drawn from business and other professional interest groups? Well yes they were. Were they in a position to influence government policy? Almost certainly. Were they men of integrity - absolutely.
Irish political life would be the poorer without the contribution of men like Fergus Finlay and Greg Sparks. They frequently outsmarted Fianna Fail. They were, however, allies of and appointed by Labour government ministers.
Which is more worthy of debate? A politician leaving office to go to a lobby group or someone from the commercial sector coming in to influence government policy?
Let's go back to another grand coalition. December 1994, and John Bruton leads a Labour Fine Gael and Democratic Left grouping into power. As you look at your wage slip and the tax take, think about the cost of running over 130 state bodies, most of which have political nominees on their boards.
Back then it was the three-two-one rule. On these state boards three seats went to Fine Gael, two to Labour and one to the Democratic Left, so the story goes. And yes, before you all squeal, no better boys than Fianna Fail for advisers, programme managers and make-up artists and the like.
There were some very good appointments under Labour patronage. The eminently capable Brendan Halligan, economist and Labour party veteran, was appointed to Bord na Mona. However let's reacquaint ourselves with the old health boards, "the 11 kingdoms" as they were known. I will spare Labour, and indeed all parties, the embarrassment of naming some of the gobdaws they put onto those boards.
These were boards that affected our health, quite often run by muppets with no skill other than that of brown-nosing. (There were notable exceptions like the late Toddy O'Sullivan from Cork.)
So let's leave Tom Parlon alone. Alas poor Tom has gone from fields of gold to bricks and mortar and suffered the indignity of decentralisation.
You may or may not admire Tom, but he is as straight as they come. Let's have a serious debate about lobby groups, political funding, civil appointments and the role of brokerage. But as we do, remember the less obvious spheres of influence. These lads are around a lot longer than Tom and you won't be seeing them jumping out of a haystack anytime soon.
Eamon Keane presents the Lunchtime Show on Newstalk 106-108FM.
Eamon Keane
Sunday Independent
Friday, 6 July 2007
Many public buildings have the same staircase
THE TYPE of staircase at the centre of yesterday's museum accident is fitted in dozens of the Government's public buildings, including Leinster House.
Stress-testing was recently carried out on the same type of staircase in Castletown House in Co Kildare in advance of the heritage property being opened to the public in two weeks.
Contractors for the Office of Public Works carried out successful tests on the Castletown staircase to ensure it would take the weight of visitors.
Pressure is likely to mount for a full safety audit on all the other stone cantilevered staircases in public buildings.
The cantilevered staircase involves a single stairway going up to a landing. The staircase then separates into two staircases, left and right, which continue upwards in the opposite direction.
A spokesman for the OPW said yesterday that such staircases were in "many government buildings."
According to the OPW spokesman, the fact that such staircases are commonplace in government buidings dating back to the period in question did not mean that they were unsafe.
A full investigation will be carried out by the state agency.
TREACY HOGAN
Irish Independent
Stress-testing was recently carried out on the same type of staircase in Castletown House in Co Kildare in advance of the heritage property being opened to the public in two weeks.
Contractors for the Office of Public Works carried out successful tests on the Castletown staircase to ensure it would take the weight of visitors.
Pressure is likely to mount for a full safety audit on all the other stone cantilevered staircases in public buildings.
The cantilevered staircase involves a single stairway going up to a landing. The staircase then separates into two staircases, left and right, which continue upwards in the opposite direction.
A spokesman for the OPW said yesterday that such staircases were in "many government buildings."
According to the OPW spokesman, the fact that such staircases are commonplace in government buidings dating back to the period in question did not mean that they were unsafe.
A full investigation will be carried out by the state agency.
TREACY HOGAN
Irish Independent
Saturday, 24 March 2007
Ammunition fort to reopen as museum
A HISTORIC fort which was used by the British and Irish armies to store ammunition is to be transformed into a public museum.
The magazine fort in the Phoenix Park dates back to 1734 but is currently in a dilapidated state and closed off to the public.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed it was in discussions with Dublin City Council about turning it into a museum.
"But before we go in to renovate it and restore it, we want to be able to identify a sustainable function and use for it," a spokesman said.
Under the plans, a new bridge would be built to link the restored magazine fort to the War Memorial Gardens across the River Liffey. A shuttle bus service would be set up so visitors could easily get to other attractions in the area, such as Kilmainham Jail and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The fort was the main ammunition depot for the British army and after independence it performed a similar function for the Irish army.
However, in 1939 the IRA mounted its 'Christmas raid' and stole one million rounds of ammunition using 13 trucks. Most of the ammunition was recovered by the state within a month. But the magazine fort was abandoned soon afterwards.
Michael Brennan
© Irish Independent
The magazine fort in the Phoenix Park dates back to 1734 but is currently in a dilapidated state and closed off to the public.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed it was in discussions with Dublin City Council about turning it into a museum.
"But before we go in to renovate it and restore it, we want to be able to identify a sustainable function and use for it," a spokesman said.
Under the plans, a new bridge would be built to link the restored magazine fort to the War Memorial Gardens across the River Liffey. A shuttle bus service would be set up so visitors could easily get to other attractions in the area, such as Kilmainham Jail and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The fort was the main ammunition depot for the British army and after independence it performed a similar function for the Irish army.
However, in 1939 the IRA mounted its 'Christmas raid' and stole one million rounds of ammunition using 13 trucks. Most of the ammunition was recovered by the state within a month. But the magazine fort was abandoned soon afterwards.
Michael Brennan
© Irish Independent
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)