Shay Brennan probes Vote 13 figures on floods, IT and access
Shay Brennan questioned figures in Vote 13, pressing officials for explanations on travel and subsistence, digital capital and IT spending, the valuation of flood relief savings, an EU-funded data centre, visitor numbers, and accessibility upgrades. He sought clarifications, requested follow-up detail and confirmation that the $1.98 billion cumulative damages-avoided figure dates from 1997.
Travel and subsistence
The deputy highlighted that travel and subsistence appear considerably higher than other departments as a percentage of salaries, wages and allowances. Officials explained the OPW team is growing, with many staff out in the field across the country and a large number of personnel driving those costs.
Digital capital and IT spending
Brennan queried an increase to $11.7 million in 2025 from $10 million in 2024 and asked whether this covered core departmental IT or project-related systems for exhibits and OPW works. Officials said they would provide a specific breakdown at a later date.
Flood relief cumulative savings
The transcript records a $1.98 billion figure described as cumulative financial damages avoided by completion of major flood relief schemes. When asked, officials confirmed the cumulative total dates from 1997 and explained the avoided-damage calculation uses the protection afforded by schemes - for example protecting 700 or 800 homes in some projects - along with associated land and assets. Officials also said flood funding is increasing to protect more homes going forward.
EU-funded data centre
A reference in B12 to EU funding for a major data centre prompted questions about its purpose. Officials identified the project as the data centre in Black Western and described it as a whole-of-government facility to serve multiple government functions.
Visitor numbers and accessibility upgrades
Brennan queried a headline figure of 15 million visitors and asked for a breakdown between international tourists and locals; officials did not have the breakdown on hand and agreed to provide it later. On upgrading works for disability access, the target for 2024 was discussed and officials said outturns were not yet available; they noted accessibility work is challenging because of the nature of many heritage sites but affirmed ongoing work and a commitment to continue improving access.
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I just want to stick specifically to the figures in vote 13, so I just have a number of quick questions and I don't think we need to go into too much detail on most of these, but just maybe get quick responses and we can do it one by one. The first one, travel and subsistence, that seems to be a considerably higher figure than other departments, particularly when taken as a percentage of salaries, wages and allowances. Now, I suspect there are a lot of OPW people out in the field and that might explain some of that, but maybe just to get your comment around that. Our team is growing and our people are on the ground all over the country and we have quite a large number of staff and that takes up a lot of that. Okay. Digital capital investment and IT expenses, that seems reasonably high as well. Again, $11.7 million estimate in 2025 against $10 million in 2024. Is that an IT project to run the department or is that referring to IT projects related to exhibits and OPW works? Deputy Chair, I will have to come back to you on that specifically as a later date, if that is okay. Sure. No problem. Under A5, there is a figure there, $1.98 billion. It is cumulative financial damages avoided by completion of major flood relief schemes. Two questions on that. Cumulative from when, and I wonder is that 1997 as per the note to the previous point maybe you could confirm that but secondly how is that measured given that it's damage avoided yes deputy if we did the question you have if we didn't build those floodways there would be damage but by building those we avoided those damages which is significant and how do we measure what the damage might have been well deputy it's in different schemes different schemes like I can talk to you about schemes up and down the country but when we protect a scheme like some of the schemes you're protecting 700 or 800 homes if that scheme wasn't in place that's the home to be damaged along with land banks and everything that goes with that but it is huge it would be very successful in terms of protection of the homes as we have done in the past and we do in the future and I would say to you particularly on the vote if you see in terms of the flooding going forward our flooding monies is up where I see it's going into the future and protecting more and more homes okay and just the cumulative figure so it's close to 2 billion is that since 1997? sorry? is that cumulative figure since 1997? yep yep yep okay a small one here there's 1,000 allotted for EU presidency I can't imagine well to be honest with you we're working with the Tarnished Foreign Affairs and as we're only starting to collaborate on the way of going forward and we work closer together and the money will be there when the time is right but it's all about working together to push that forward so placeholder for now yeah B12 you make reference to one major project data centre investment and this is EU funding what is that data centre? sorry okay so in B12 there's reference to the EU funding a data centre major data centre I'm wondering what is that data centre? that's the data centre in Black Western and what's it for? it's the government the whole of government government when we all come together yeah okay great okay I have two further questions very quickly 15 million visitors which is an astonishing figure do you have a breakdown how much of those are tourists specifically international tourists as opposed to locals? no I haven't got the breakdown this time okay maybe we could get it in time I'll take a note yeah perfect finally then yeah it's just in relation to the upgrading upgrading of works for disability and you have a target figure so 36 in 2024 was the target figure you probably don't have the outturn on that yet but I'm just wondering how we're getting on do you have any indication how we're getting on compared to that target? as you probably know Deputy when I was Minister you may know when I was Minister the last time I introduced free acts of people with disability so I set a target at that time that we deliver sometimes 24 times 30 this time it's 30 come forward it is tough there's no point saying it now but where we can do we do do it we do it in Garda session we do it here in this building we're very in today and we'll continue to do that but I can say to you a lot of people say from the heritage side people say to me how is we haven't got more accessibility in the site they are difficult to do because of the nature of the site the nature of the building but we are working very very closely the whole team in delivering that it's something I'm very passionate and something I want to continue to do okay thank you Thomas Reagan thank you
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