Review launched into ‘astronomical’ £300k Irish parliament bike shed

Leader ‘angered and annoyed’ at cost of cycle canopy outside historic Dublin building

Ireland’s prime minister called the cost of a small bike shelter at its parliament buildings “inexcusable” after it came to almost £300,000.
Simon Harris said he was “angry and annoyed” at the shelter at Leinster House in Dublin, the seat of the Irish parliament, after reports that it could fit between 18 and 36 bikes.
The bike shed at Leinster House was initially hailed as a good example of public sector environmental action.
MPs said that the structure was not even a shed but an L-shaped canopy, which meant bikes belonging to politicians, staff and visitors could still get wet if it rained.
The Irish Times and Irish Independent said the shelter could fit 18 bikes but the Irish Cycle website said each of its 18 racks could hold two bikes.
Mr Harris said the €336,000 (£283,300) bill, blamed on ensuring the shelter was in keeping with the look and feel of the historic Leinster House, was “inexcusable and inexplicable”.
He welcomed an immediate review of the spending ordered by Kieran O’Donnell, the minister for public works, on Tuesday.
The Taoiseach said there were benefits to workplaces providing parking for bikes, but not at such a cost.
“People get that. What they don’t get is the extraordinary sum of money that this has cost, and I don’t either quite frankly,” he told reporters. “This is the sort of thing that rightly angers and annoys people and it angers and annoys me as well.”
Helen McEntee, the justice minister, added it “seems like an astronomical amount for what is essentially a bike shed”.
The Office of Public Works said the construction of the shelter presented “several unique challenges” because it was  built on the Leinster House complex, which is “a protected structure of national importance”.
A spokesman said, “The structure consists of a steel framed, glazed canopy to ensure long term durability. The materials used, including Irish granite, glass and steel were carefully selected not only for their durability, but also for their compatibility with the historic setting of our national parliament.”
The cost was first revealed by the Irish Times. A breakdown of the costs showed €322,282 was spent on construction and installation, €2,952 was spent on archaeological services and €10,816 were spent on quantity surveying services and “contract administration services”.
Eamon Ryan, a Green minister in the coalition government, had praised the shelter on environmental grounds in April.
On Tuesday, he said he was “shocked” by the bill, which he said seemed “incredibly expensive”.
Neasa Hourigan, a Green Party MP who is an architect, told the RTE broadcaster it should have cost half as much.
“It is the cost of constructing a house. It’s not even a shed, it’s an L-shaped canopy. So your bike’s possibly still going to get wet,” she said.