A scanner bought by Ireland's National Gallery for more than €120,000in 2017 has still not been used due to concerns it is too big. The gallery purchased the X-ray system valued at €124,805 as part of a Digital Investigative Imaging Project.
The equipment was described as essential for examining the gallery's paintings in a non-destructive way. However officials could not find a place to put the scanner due to concerns about the "load-bearing capacity" of possible locations
The gallery is now said to be looking to use it as a "mobile unit on-site" and it could come into use later this year.
'Absolute fury'
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was "very difficult to explain why someone would embark upon purchase of a scanner that they didn't have a facility to locate it in".
Tánaiste Simon Harris said: "My reaction to this is the same as the reaction that every person will have right across this country - which is one of absolute fury.
"Government provides money to state agencies. They do very good work, but they're also accountable for the spend of that money.
Another public money scandal
The public is becoming increasingly fed up with what is now commonly regarded as the repeated waste of public money in a month when the government had to order an external review of governance and culture at The Arts Council after the public body spent €7mon an unsuccessful IT system.
These most recent revelations have come hot on the heels of other public spending controversies towards the end of last year.
It emerged that a security structure was built at the Department of Finance in Dublin at a cost of more than €1.4m and a bike shelter was built in the grounds of Leinster House costing €336,000.
Opposition parties will not miss another opportunity to highlight what they regard as a lack of proper government oversight on how taxpayers' money is spent on public projects.
