Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin was on This Week today, defending the spending of large sums of taxpayer money on the residence for the Irish ambassador to Canda. The story had been highlighted by the Canadian media:
But prudence was not a consideration in the 15-month gutting of a modest stone house to recreate an abode of unbridled luxury for Irish ambassador Declan Kelly.
Coming in at more than twice the floor space of the Prime Minister’s official residence at 24 Sussex Drive with a reconstruction tab exceeding $7-million, the 24,000-square-foot, four-storey house is now the accommodation envy of the diplomatic corps in Ottawa.
Ireland embassy staff did not return repeated calls requesting an interview with Mr. Kelly and a tour of the residence, but a worker on the site proudly showed me blueprints of a project packed with every conceivable luxury and ornate columns rising to the roof.
“All that’s missing is a throne for Caesar,” the worker grinned. “I’ve never worked on anything like this before.”
Sounds like a nice pad. But where is it? Google answers. Here is a Google Streetview of the house, which was clearly at the time underdoing the renovations:
Here is location of said house at or around 282 Park Road, Ottowa.
And here is a picture of the completed house. Lundy Construction appear to be the cont
I have to say I have no problem with the spending on this. my view outlined here http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2010/02/07/why-the-spending-on-the-residence-of-the-irish-ambassador-to-canada-matters/
The Hague Villa (out in suburbia)
A 200m luxurious beach-front prime property!
Only ‘one month’ behind schedule.
Some Irish citizens had their consular services ‘cancelled’ due to ‘stress’ on Dublin officials due to the move to the beach front property outside the Hague city centre in nearby Scheveningen: Village of Kings and Counts! …. where you can find property prices that will remind you of the better days of the Celtic high-commissions .
Picture of Ireland : “Under Construction”|
New-Irish construct Massive Villa-Embassy in Luxé, Hague Suburbia http://bit.ly/dr3hPO
Ambassador’s seat set to move from present location (adjacent above the corner-establishment “Murphy’s Law” city bar http://bit.ly/d8VyxU (down the narrow alleyway behind the Republic of Turkey Embassy up on nearby Kings’ Canal (Koningkade) http://bit.ly/d8VyxU
mcula
Nice comment from Cathy from the Ottowa Citizen story….
As a Canadian living in Ireland for the past 23 years, corruption is typical of this country’s government! The judicial system is a joke. It doesn’t seem to me that anyone is ever answerable here in Ireland. Last week, a man was sentenced to 6 years and 11 months for murdering his wife with a brick. It has taken me longer than that in the Irish Judicial System to get a divorce! This has nothing to do with shamrocks, leprechauns, Guiness or the Catholic Church. It has to do with corruption, fraud, and deception.
“Irish ambassador Declan Kelly”
Is this the same Declan Kelly appointed by Hillary Clinton to be economic advisor for northern ireland?