Simon Harris: €336k bike shed ‘inexplicable and inexcusable’

An Irish government minister has ordered a review into a bike shelter built in the grounds of the Irish parliament that cost €336,000 (£283,149), a statement from the Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed.

Kieran O’Donnell is the minister responsible for the OPW, which built the shelter to store 36 bikes in the grounds of Leinster house last year.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris described the cost of the shelter as “inexplicable and inexcusable”.

In a statement, the OPW said the project “was procured via a framework agreement and complies with public procurement and planning guidelines”.

A breakdown of costs from the OPW shows that €322,282 (£271,755) was spent on the main construction and installation, €2,952 (£2,489) on archaeological services, and a further €10,816 (£9,120) was paid for contract administration services.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday Mr Harris said: “I think everybody can see the benefit of having somewhere to have a bike at a workplace, people get that.”

“What they don’t get is the extraordinary sum of money that this has cost and I don’t either,” he added.

Mr Harris welcomed the review ordered into the project.

The Irish transport minister, Eamon Ryan, said on Monday that the price tag for the shelter seems “incredibly expensive”.

He said the OPW has questions to answer around the project.

Mr Ryan added that it was “very important and good that we have bicycle sheds”, but said it “seem an incredibly expensive cost”.

“I look forward to listening to the OPW, talk to the OPW, as to why it was so expensive,” he added.

A spokesperson from the OPW said it “recognises the importance of ensuring that public money is spent transparently”.

“Located within the setting of Leinster House, a protected structure of national importance, the construction of the bike shelter involved several unique challenges,” the statement continued.

“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 OPW said.