Mixed reaction to OPW's €1m maintenance bill for Longford property portfolio

An investigation into the annual expenditure of over 14 properties countywide by this newspaper found the Office Of Public Works (OPW) spent almost €1m on management costs between 2015 and 2016.

Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Padraig Loughrey said he wasn't overly taken aback by the near seven figure sum, but indicated he was keen to delve deeper into the findings.

“It is and isn't (a high figure),” he said. “There is always a certain cost involved and an expectancy to ensure public buildings are well maintained.

“I would be more interested in the exact proportion of maintenance costs as opposed to overall costs because every business has to certify a certain amount of money for maintenance.”