OPW to defend cost of modular homes to accounts committee

Officials from the Office of Public Works (OPW) will defend the cost of modular homes when they appear before the Public Accounts Committee tomorrow, describing them as "State assets".

A report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) highlighted the unit cost which at €436,000 was 120% higher than the €200,000 which had been initially budgeted for.

The C&AG report said the final unit cost was the equivalent of accommodating Ukrainian refugees in a hotel for five years.

The OPW officials in their opening statement to the committee will argue this demonstrates good value for money as the modular homes will serve for much longer saying "the State asset will be available for another 55 years".

They also point out that the report described the procurement process for the modular homes as compliant and say the pilot scheme is ninety percent complete with 2,300 Ukrainians living at 10 sites.

They say the costs were higher than expected because of "the emergency nature of the pilot, complications around sites, access issues and utility connections".

On the bike shelter at Leinster House the statement says the OPW's audit partner is conducting an independent audit of the project and new approval financial thresholds have already been introduced.

It also acknowledges concerns about the high cost of the security pavilion at Government Buildings but reiterates that the works undertaken "were on foot of a Garda security review of the campus that highlighted real security threats".

The statement also outlines that the OPW has completed 55 flood relief schemes around the country with another 100 under way and says that all new schemes since 2019 have included adaptation plans to ensure climate change is considered in the design process.