TDs rushing back to Leinster House after the summer recess will find to their horror that they have lost their free car-parking spaces because of vital structural restoration work on the historic building.

The Office of Public Works told the Oireachtas Commission, which runs the Dáil and Seanad, that while the Dáil chamber would be accessible during the reconstruction works, car-parking spaces "may possibly be compromised".

There is more bad news for TDs who will not be able to use the alternative spaces fronting on to Merrion Street because Leinster Lawn is to be restored this summer 10 years after it was ripped up and replaced with a 'temporary' car park for TDs.

The restoration of the lawn, which will begin next week with both houses on their nine weeks' holiday, will cost a nominal €230,000, the OPW said.

The OPW assured the politicians that it is trying to source alternative car-parking spaces, possibly in the streets around Leinster House, to ensure our TDs have easy access to the corridors of power.

But the commission wants the OPW to source these alternative car-parking spaces before it begins the restoration work on Leinster House which is designed to prevent the complete collapse of the historic house.

And in a further blow to our politicians, plans to build a new underground energy centre for Leinster House to save on energy bills have been postponed due to the current economic climate.

However, the OPW said it would proceed with replacing the Leinster House boilers which after 30 years are nearing the end of their functional life span.

Notwithstanding the lack of a new cost-saving energy centre, the commission asked the OPW to examine the problems with the air conditioning in the Seanad chamber "as it needs to be improved to bring working conditions for members and staff up to an acceptable level".