Ordinary people were not the only ones who got burned in the property crash and the government themselves were no Morgan Kelly when it came to predicting the inevitable collapse.
At the height of the boom, they paid out €168 million in taxpayer money for a number of properties around the country, many of them related to the decentralisation project.
There were also some other purchases for cultural (or perhaps vanity) projects.
A grand total of €41.8 million was paid for sites at Earlsfort Terrace and surrounds for developing the National Concert Hall.
Another €19.95 million was paid for three houses at Merrion Square for an extension to the National Gallery.
It is hard to see either of these two projects taking place any time soon.
A list of OPW transactions from 2006 to 2008
