New San Francisco base for Irish diplomats and State agencies has so far cost €3.1m

The Department of Foreign Affairs has spent more than €3.1 million so far developing a new “Ireland House” in San Francisco. The expenditure included more than €170,000 in bills for furniture, including an outlay of more than €7,100 for a “seating island”. The department also splashed out about €57,000 on an assortment of chairs and an estimated €72,000 on desks and workstations.

The new development officially opened in March as part of the Global Ireland initiative, and brought Irish diplomats and staff from State agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and Tourism Ireland under one roof in California.

The department said the €3.154 million bill was not paid entirely by them but was shared with State agency partners. It included construction fees of €2.24 million, as well as professional services costs of €702,000. A further €211,000 was spent on fit-out fees. Other bills included €740 for a podium, more than €24,000 on the purchase of 32 assorted tables, and 18 metal filing cabinets costing a combined €7,900.

The department said no money had yet been spent on artwork or decorative items and that costs for electronic equipment were not yet available. The specification for carpets, blinds, curtains and light fittings was “mid-range”, it said.

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The department said the development was ongoing and that there may be further expenses, adding: “A breakdown of services by the main contractor will be finalised once the project has been finalised and closed.”

The department also said it expected a reimbursement of $1.5 million (€1.4 million) from the landlord of the property and that there may be other refunds on the project.

According to an information note, the department said the objective of the project was to bring greater “coherence in delivery of Ireland’s diplomatic, trade, cultural and economic objectives internationally”.

“[Our] buildings [must] meet appropriate standards with regard to health, safety, security and accessibility. The department, in addition, must comply with any relevant national standards/requirements in local jurisdictions. All refurbishments and Ireland House projects in our mission network are conducted in line with the department’s procurement obligations under government public-sector tendering and contracting rules, including both national and EU public procurement thresholds.”