Concerns over repair costs for Leinster House’s answer to Trump’s ‘reflecting pool’

Concerns have been raised about the condition of a dried-out water feature on the grounds of Leinster House that has drawn parallels with Donald Trump’s controversial renovation of the reflecting pool in the United States capital.The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is a key feature of the National Mall in Washington. Trump complained that it was “faeces-infested” and “leaking like a sieve” and pushed through a $14 million (€12 million) no-bid renovation earlier this year.However, the paintwork on the pool designed to make it look blue did not work. The costs have risen to over $16 million and the pool remains behind fencing. On the lawn of Leinster House, there is also an ornate pool – albeit a fraction of the size, measuring about 12m long by 5m wide.READ MOREEarlier this summer, it was drained of water when two sizeable cracks were noticed on the base. When contacted, an Oireachtas spokeswoman said its facilities team was working with the Office of Public Works (OPW) on repairing the pool as part of their maintenance programme. “There are no cost estimates available on this at this point.”Seen through algae-laden green water, a tear in the recently applied sealant can be seen on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 18th, 2026, in Washington, DC. Photograph: Getty Images The OPW is responsible for the conservation, protection and care of a range of high-profile historic buildings in Dublin, including Leinster House and the Houses of the Oireachtas. It has been criticised for the costs associated with two other projects in Leinster House and Government Buildings – a bicycle shelter that cost more than €300,000, in addition to a final bill of €1.4 million for a security port at the entrance to Government Buildings. An OPW spokesman said it was “reviewing options for carrying out local repairs to the concrete and fountain, with a view to getting the Leinster Lawn pond back into operation. The scope, timeline and costs for works will be finalised when this review is completed.”Dáil Committee of Public Accounts chairman John Brady said reassurance was needed on the cost of the project. The Sinn Féin Wicklow TD said “we need to see that lessons have truly been learned” from previous spending controversies, “and that means ensuring the costs of this refurbishment are tightly managed from the outset. It’s a shame that we didn’t have the opportunity to hear from US president Donald Trump during his recent visit about his experience of the potential perils associated with pool renovations. Let’s hope the OPW can manage this project a little better.”