Full remediation work at Government House could take up to five years to complete, the Government has said.

The Royal Gazetterevealed last month that the Governor, Rena Lalgie, and her family had to move into temporary accommodation paid for by taxpayers because the 19th-century building was unsafe and not fit to live in.

At the time, the Government said it was waiting for a full assessment to “inform decisions regarding the remediation of Government House and its use as a working residence”.

Asked for an update, the Government issued a statement that said: “Government House is in receipt of the full assessment, which has been shared with the Government of Bermuda.

“Government House continues to work with other government departments to address the findings of the report and to find suitable accommodation and office space for the Department of Governor and staff.”

Pressed for details, a further statement added: “The assessment highlighted potential costs associated with the full remediation of Government House over a three to five-year period.

“The Governor continues to reside at a temporary location. When the Governor moved out of Government House, so did the live-in staff, who are also at a temporary location.

“Government House is working with the Ministry of Public Works to find a suitable temporary residence and office space for the department.”

The most recent Budget listed $5.2 million in total authorised funding for Government House improvements, with $1.7 million having being spent as of March 31 last year.

Walter Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs, told the House of Assembly in March last year that the $300,000 allocation for 2022-23 would be spent on “ongoing maintenance” of the house, with major long-lasting repairs on hold because of a lack of funds. This year’s allocation was $380,000.

He said that the windows needed replacing, at a cost of almost $2 million, and the roof needed replacing, at an estimated cost of $450,000.

The minister admitted that water damage would increase “exponentially” until those major capital projects and associated operational costs could be funded.

The Government has also been urged to take urgent action to prevent Montpelier, the Deputy Governor’s official residence, from falling into disrepair.

A Grade III-listed building in Devonshire, it has been empty since 2018, and the publicly owned structure had started to deteriorate.

Civil servants at the Ministry of Public Works sought to carry out internal renovations and upgrade outside facilities to include a swimming pool and garage, but works minister Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch withheld funding for the plan.

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