The Department of Agriculture warned its staff might have to be moved away from the controversial €1.4 million security pavilion because of a foul stench emanating from pipes beneath it.
The smell was so bad that members of the public logged complaints, and some staff were afraid it might be unhealthy to work nearby.
The Department of Agriculture said they understood any plans involving the pavilion were likely to prove controversial due to “the publicity and costs associated with [the] hut.”
However, their head of HR told the OPW in January that they could not expect employees to stay working in those conditions.
An email said: “While not wanting to draw any publicity we cannot continue to have our staff work there with the sewer smells coming into the office.
“Can you come back to me today with a plan? I may have to close the hut and engage with the Oireachtas for us to redirect traffic to that entrance and our staff to share office space until this is resolved.”
The department also raised other issues with the €1.4 million hut, including a gate that was so low people were able to step over it.
There was also a problem with the powder coat finish “with rust coming through on both gates,” internal emails said.
The stench was the biggest problem, however, and plagued the Department of Agriculture for around a year.