Yes, Minister: Callely’s €20k office and stationery redesign

SOMETIMES it is the little things in politics that count. Ivor Callely ordered a redesign of stationery when he was a junior minister at the Department of Health so that the symbols and logos on the paper had a “rich appearance or feel”.

The stationery redesign was just one of a number of requests by Mr Callely, which also included a refurbishment of his offices costing well over €20,000 of taxpayers’ money.

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Mr Callely requested the suite of offices for him and his officials to be painted “venetian yellow” and carpeted in blue. He asked that all the rooms be fitted with wooden venetian blinds, and that his own office be sound-proofed. Invoices for this work show the final cost comfortably exceeded €20,000, with the blinds costing €9,425 alone, while the supply and fitting of Munster Supreme Velvet Carpet cost €3,430 and furniture was reupholstered and polished at a cost of €3,387. The painting, meanwhile, cost €5,809.