The Housing Agency decided to keep a €4,000 sculpture that was commissioned in recognition of its previous chairman, Conor Skehan, rejecting a board member’s proposal to gift the artwork to him permanently.
The bronze sculpture by artist Eamonn Ceannt was presented to Mr Skehan in late 2017 ahead of him being replaced as chairman the following April, but then left in the Housing Agency’s office.
Mr Skehan previously faced a public backlash over his comments that some families were “gaming the system” by declaring themselves homeless to jump up social housing waiting lists.
Housing Agency records show there was an internal dispute over whether the sculpture was intended as a gift for Mr Skehan or to be kept by the agency.
Last October, board member Tony O’Brien brought a proposal to the board that the artwork be “re-presented” to Mr Skehan as a gift. In a written submission, Mr O’Brien said the former chair had “never missed a board meeting” and had overseen a significant expansion of the agency during his five-year tenure. He said the board had previously agreed to gift him a “unique work of art” to say thank you.
Mr O’Brien said then-chief executive of the agency, John O’Connor, had advised the board he had agreed with the Comptroller and Auditor General “that the sculpture would be retained as a fixed asset by the agency”.
In a November 2018 email, Mr O’Brien told the chief executive contrary to that position “the gift had been approved, unanimously, by the board, at a meeting in the absence of the chair”.
He noted the agency’s annual report for 2017 disclosed “a gift to the value of €4,000 was given to the retiring chairperson”.
He said during an audit committee meeting the C&AG had outlined there was no reason “why the agency could not give the gift to the former chair”.
The correspondence and internal records were released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information act.
Last November, the agency wrote to Mr Skehan to say the board “concluded that the sculpture be maintained and displayed” in its offices. The agency invited him “to come and view this at any time that may suit”.
When contacted for comment, Mr Skehan said he had never taken travel or other expenses while on State boards and was happy for the sculpture to remain with the agency. “That’s where it is and that’s where it is staying,” he said.
