Leinster House to re-open to public after €18m revamp spanning 3 years
The historic Leinster House building is set to re-open to the public in the coming weeks after a near three-year revamp and an €18m budget that is double what was originally planned.
Oireachtas officials have confirmed the 272-year-old building will be fully available again for tours and visitors from "culture night" on September 20 after scaffolding finally came down on the facility over the weekend, opening up the majority of the site to onlookers.
Due in part to concerns that sections of the building were at real risk of serious safety problems, the historic Leinster House - which sits in the centre of the parliamentary campus - was closed in 2017 to allow for a complete revamp.
The cost of the project, which meant the Seanad was transferred to the ceramics room of the adjacent National Museum of Ireland, was expected to be capped at €8m.
However, as revealed by the Irish Examiner in June, the full price will now hit €18m - with Oireachtas services secretary-general, Peter Finnegan, later claiming to the Dáil's public accounts committee that the price represents "outstanding" value for money.
The Merrion Street entrance of Georgian Leinster House is beaming in the morning sunshine today. As the days go by, we get to see more & more of #LeinsterHouse revealed. Leinster House returns to full use in the coming weeks. #ReturnToTheHouse #Dáil100 #seeforyourself pic.twitter.com/KHkzHHWE56
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) August 19, 2019
Among the changes at the facility, will be the recreation of the Leinster House foyer to its original 1700s plans, vital repair works and an upgrading of existing tour services.
The €18m cost of the project is likely to be defended by the fact that 53,000 visitors came to Leinster House last year and that it is essential that Ireland's political headquarters is represented in the best light to the national and international public.
However, critics of the costs will also point to the fact it has previously been revealed that 28 of the now renovated chimneys from the original building cannot be used for health and safety reasons - despite costing €1.5m to repair.
In a statement to the Irish Examiner, an Oireachtas spokesperson said the historic Leinster House site will "re-open on a phased basis in the coming weeks", and will be "fully re-opened in time for the return of the Houses after the summer recess" next month.
"The restored Georgian Leinster House will be open to the public for Culture Night on September 20, including the restored Seanad chamber, as the inner workings of our parliament and the broader campus are revealed," the spokesperson said.
