Bike shed expenditure
McDonald raises the OPW bicycle shed cost and links it to wider Government waste and the children’s hospital. The Minister accepts public anger, says he is responsible for public money, and points to an OPW report and recommendations.
As I rehearsed with the Minister earlier, the Government, and he, as Minister for public expenditure, are presiding over the building of the most expensive hospital in the world. Of course they have also presided over the construction of what I imagine has to be most expensive bicycle shed in the world, at a cost to the taxpayer of €336,000, paid out by the OPW, which comes under his Department. Five weeks on, we still have no answer as to how all of this happened. It seems to me that the approach of the members of the Government to this matter is the same as their approach to the children's hospital: they act as commentators. They seem to take no responsibility whatsoever. Will the Minister say who will be held accountable for the most expensive bicycle shed in the world? Does he accept any responsibility for this outrageous waste of the public's money?
Comment on this
Of course I accept that the spending of so much money on a bike shed has caused great anger among the public. It was not a decision that I made but I am responsible for the use of the country's money. I understand that the Office of Public Works recently engaged with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
I believe a report from it will be forthcoming on the subject and will lay out what happened and the recommendations to avoid this happening again.
Comment on this
Another shed out the front. A bike shed for a party leader. That was kept quiet.