In Beam volume 32 the preliminary concepts of the proposed new offices and engineering maintenance and stores at Dun Laoghaire were outlined. The project has been progressing over the subsequent two years. A planning application was lodged with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on 8 July 2004. Although a decision on the planning application was due on 2 September 2004, the planning authority sought additional information on a number of aspects. The additional information, including a comprehensive impact statement carried out by a conservation architect to assess the impact of the development on adjoining protected structures, was lodged with the planning authority on 11 October 2004. A Notification of Decision to Grant Permission was issued by the County Council on 5 November 2004. However, this decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by a number of third parties. An Bord Pleanála issued its decision on 1 June 2005 and upheld the earlier decision of the County Council to grant permission for the proposed development.

In compliance with EU procurement procedures, expressions of interest were sought in November 2004 from design team consortia for consultancy services for the detailed design, tender, and construction phases of the project. Following this a short list of firms was invited to tender for the design services. On 30 March 2005 the Board approved the appointment of a design team comprising Scott Tallon Walker Architects (architectural services), Arup Consulting Engineers (civil/structural engineering services), Arup Consulting Engineers (mechanical and electrical services) and Davis Langdon PKS (quantity surveying services).
At the beginning of May 2005, the design team commenced the detailed design of the buildings and the preparation of tender documents for the construction contract. As part of this work a detailed topographical survey of the Dun Laoghaire site was undertaken and a deleterious materials survey, to identify the presence of hazardous materials such as asbestos, was also carried out in all existing buildings throughout the site. Boreholes were drilled up to 12 metres deep to determine the below ground conditions, soil strata, and rock quality and strength to assist the structural engineers in the design of the foundations.
During this period the selection of contractors for the construction contract was initiated. EU public procurement rules govern the process of appointing contractors to carry out the development. An advertisement seeking applications from interested firms was placed in the EU Journal on 13 July 2005. This pre-qualification process resulted in a number of firms being selected to tender for the main construction contract and the external façade, mechanical, electrical, and lift specialist sub-contracts.

Invitations to tender were issued in September 2005 to the selected firms and tenders were subsequently received in early November 2005. Following an evaluation of the tenders, the Board at its meeting on 25 November 2005 approved the appointment of Bowen Construction Ltd as main contractor for the construction contract.

Over the past few months employees have been engaged in preparing the Dun Laoghaire site for the commencement of the building contract. This work included temporary relocation of the monitoring centre, provision of temporary accommodation for employees, temporary stores, and alterations to the existing workshops. The excellent work carried out by these employees to complete the preparations within the allocated timeframe is a significant contribution to the overall project.

The site is now ready for the contactor to commence work on the new building, while Irish Lights can continue its operations in Dun Laoghaire during construction.
Construction work will commence in the first week of January 2006.
The strategy for the construction of the new facilities at Dun Laoghaire is divided into three phases. Phase 1 relates to the construction of the new engineering maintenance and stores building). This phase will entail the demolition of part of the existing buoy workshop, the administration building, and the building that housed the electronics workshop, projects offices, and shipwright workshop at the western side of the site. The rectangular engineering maintenance and stores building will be constructed, together with the construction of external storage, waste facility, buoy washing area, and buoy pits on western side of quayside working area. At the end of this phase the relevant operations will be transferred into their new work areas within this building.

The contractor will then commence Phase 2 of the development. The remaining part of the existing buoy workshop, the forge, and paint workshop areas at the eastern end of the site will be demolished. Construction of the circular office building and the link corridor to the engineering maintenance building will follow. Finally, Phase 3 of the development will see the completion of the external site works and landscaping.

Significant changes will be evident on the site during 2006. This project, when finished, will provide our Service with a modern purpose-built working environment that will meet the future needs of the Service.