Vol. 418 No. 6
87 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the reasons a sum of £6,000,000 was allocated for the refurbishment of the National Gallery in 1991 but not spent; the reason also a sum of £1,000,000 is now allocated in the 1992 Estimates; if he will outline the purposes for which it is intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The amount allocated in the Office of Public Works Vote for 1991 for the refurbishment works at the National Gallery was in fact £1.2 million. At that stage the total estimated cost of the project was £5 million. The Deputy will recall that in mid-1991 there were strong indications of a budget overrun. In response to this the Government decided to hold back a number of projects, and one of those held back was the refurbishment of the National Gallery.
Following a submission by the Office of Public Works, the Department of Finance have now sanctioned an upper limit of £6 million for this project, the first instalment of £1 million being in the Office of Public Works Vote for 1992. The tendering process has actually commenced and it is hoped to have a contractor on site later this year. The works will involve alterations throughout the basement of the building together with the refurbishment of all galleries in the 1968 wing, including the installation of a new air conditioning system in this wing.
