I want to extend a welcome to the Mayo Self Advocacy Group, which is joining us in the Public Gallery.

This time last year, it was revealed Government spent €335,000 of taxpayers' money on a bike shed here in Leinster House. There was widespread public shock and anger but, of course, Government waste did not end there. We had €1.4 million for a security hut at Government buildings; €500,000 to replace a wall at the headquarters of the WRC; nearly €300,000 paid to consultants to come up with an Irish name for GSOC; €77,000 to change the name of An Bord Pleanála to An Coimisiún Pleanála; and €70,000 for curtains at Dublin Castle. These are just some examples of the millions of euro wasted on the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Then of course, the Government's investigation into the bike shed or shelter fiasco cost the public another €25,000, yet nobody was ever held to account.

It is clear the Government learned absolutely no lessons because at the weekend, it emerged that the bike shed scandal part 2 is on the cards. Astonishingly, Government is allowing €100,000 of public money to be spent on a new bike shed at the national maternity hospital. When I first heard this, I thought somebody was having me on - I thought it was a wind-up - but no, there it is on the Government e-tenders website. Is this really the best use of taxpayers' money when there are so many demands on the health service, for example, where accident and emergency services do not have enough chairs and trolleys, not to mind beds, and where people regularly sit on the floor. Last year, the Taoiseach described paying out these outrageous sums of taxpayers' money for a bike shed as "extortionate, ridiculous and inexcusable", yet it is happening again. It is bike shed Groundhog Day.

This is a slap in the face for hardworking families hammered by a relentless cost-of-living crisis, households for whom every single euro counts, and who now hear the Taoiseach's Government continues to squander their hard-earned money. Government throws away millions of euro in public money but at the same time will remove energy credits from households in the budget.

The Government does nothing to tackle the rip-off or take on companies that are gouging customers. It gives the energy companies free rein to hike electricity prices. It lets the big supermarket chains off the hook for soaring food prices. The insurance companies know they have nothing to fear from the Taoiseach's Government as they jack up premiums. People are ripped off by private companies and ripped off by his Government.

Tá sé scannalach gur lig an Rialtas don €100,000 a bheith caite ar bhothán eile. Buille sa phus atá ann do theaghlaigh atá faoi bhrú ollmhór leis an gcostas maireachtála. One year on, a litany of waste later, and there is still no proper oversight, no improvements and no accountability in the spending of taxpayers' money. The incompetence of all this is utterly staggering - €100,000, scandalous money, on a bike shed again. This is not just unacceptable; this is an insult to the public.

My question is simple: does the Taoiseach believe that spending €100,000 on a bike shed represents value for the taxpayers' money?

In the overall scale of public expenditure - and the national development plan has been a very significant initiative by the Government - I am somewhat surprised at the Deputy's concentrating on, relatively speaking, areas that were covered last year in terms of spendings that should not have happened, specifically the OPW expenditure on a bike shed. I do recall, however, that it was Members of the Opposition who sought the bike shed.

And they wanted a second one.

There were lots of representations from all of them.

From Labour.

You guys wanted a bike shed.

As did ye.

I did not want any bike shed.

One third of a million euro.

Who was on the commission?

Deputies, could you allow the answer, please - on both sides?

A lot of working people, by the way, a lot of public servants, a lot of workers do want facilities in terms of-----

That is not the issue.

-----cycling to work or active travel. We are not responsible for the detailed-----

You think it is a laughing matter that you spent that much money on it?

Deputy, your Leader has asked a question. Allow a response, please.

It is not funny.

Sorry?

Continue, Taoiseach, please.

I know, but there are so many leaders emerging in Sinn Féin these days-----

Well, now, Taoiseach, I-----

Is that not a healthy thing? We do not have to go outside the party.

Obviously, the presidential announcement that was meant to be never happened, so they should all just take it easy and stand back. Deputy McDonald is here for quite some time yet, it seems, as leader of the party.

As regards the issue of the detailed planning for a new national maternity hospital, which will involve a very significant sum of money, I will not decide every single item of that. If the National Transport Authority is allocating money to Holles Street or to the maternity hospital in respect of active travel, that is an issue for the National Transport Authority. Members cannot be coming in here some days saying, "There is not enough money for active travel, there is not enough money for cycling, there is not enough money for that", and then come in the other day around the scrum and say, "Well, actually, there should not be a bike shed here or a bike shed there."

Nobody said that.

I am of the view that if particular facilities are being provided for workers, in particular, or for people visiting any public institution, for that matter, value for money should apply and they should not cost outrageous sums. It should be done modestly, and very simple structures should be put in place. It should not have to cost €100,000 to provide a bike shed. Again, I am not into the detail of a bike shed at a national maternity hospital. I do want it built. A lot of messing went on here for a couple of years about getting that project off the ground, and delay cost us far more than any bike shed will cost us in respect of that maternity hospital. There was an inordinate delay in getting that project off the ground, but some Members preferred to spend time talking about theocracy and the Vatican and everything else rather than the project getting the green light much earlier and getting it through. They will never have any public accounts committee assessment of that or the delays that can occur in this House or the delays that can occur by politicians objecting to this, that and the other. They will never do any value-for-money assessment of that; they will just go for a cheap headline. So it is time for the bike shed again, and Deputy McDonald arrives in with a contribution on a bike shed. This time it is €100,000; last year it was €300,000. It was too much last year. Go talk to the unions who fund some of you.

Oh, this was the unions?

No, no.

Please, Deputies.

It is the Opposition's fault, it is the unions' fault - the Taoiseach is the head of Government.

Is there anyone else to blame?

Workers want facilities. These facilities are not for anybody in here, except the Opposition TDs who did want the bike shed last year.

They wanted a second one.

They wanted a second one as well. They wanted two bike sheds for here. They wrote to the Ceann Comhairle for a bike shed-----

The previous Ceann Comhairle.

-----and did not come in condemning the costs. I presume the one in the maternity hospital is for workers to facilitate them if they cycle to work. We need to be careful too. Are we saying workers should not have facilities in an active travel context to reduce traffic congestion and allow people to cycle to work?

No. We are saying that a bike shed should not cost €335,000, nor should it cost €100,000. How is that? That is what we are saying. The Taoiseach may smirk if he wishes but the reality is his Government's track record in terms of wastage of public money is absolutely incredible. The Taoiseach's performance there and attempt at a smart-alecky narrative is probably the reason. He does not take it seriously. What is it to him at the end of the day? He is not struggling to meet his grocery bill.

Nor are you.

He is not struggling to make his rent or mortgage. In the bigger scheme of things, he can lean for national development plans and billions of euro, which he also squanders. He is bad at managing the small money so he is even worse at managing the big money. That is how we end up with the most expensive hospital in the world when it comes to the children's hospital, so do not be smart with me.

Except for Belfast.

Do not be smart with me. I asked a serious question and I want a substantive answer. Does the Taoiseach, the head of Government, believe €100,000 on a bike shed is value for the hard-pressed taxpayer?

Thank you, Deputy, your time is up.

Please answer that.

Have you read the e-tender? Read the e-tender.

Minister, please.

Minister, have some decorum, please. The Taoiseach to respond.

Deputies, please.

I can understand the Minister of State, Deputy Moran's annoyance because the bottom line is the Deputy's assertion-----

He is responsible.

No, I am not.

She talked to me about being a smart alec. Her assertions today were bogus, flawed and not serious. No one is taking that kind of nonsense seriously. She should take heed of what the Minister of State said. Read the e-tender. Yes, we have spent billions of euro on infrastructure. A lot of the projects we spent on have come in on target. Many schools such as Edmund Rice College, Dublin, Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy, Limerick, Patrician Academy, Mallow, were all on budget, as was Walter Scott House, Forensic Science Ireland's facility. I could go on about the various road projects such as the Moycullen bypass and the Dunkettle interchange - a fantastic engineering project - which came in on budget and on time. These are serious projects.

Answer the question.

I have answered the question. Go and read the e-tender.

Is it good value for money?

Thank, you Taoiseach.

With the greatest of respect-----

Please.

Some €100,000.

Please. Thank you, Taoiseach.

What I would say to Pearse is: would you go away and design a bike shed for us and give us the costs? We will take it away and see what we do.

I could build you a bike shed for a lot cheaper than that. Some €100,000 - it is mental.

Very tetchy today, Taoiseach.

For God's sake, cop yourself on.

I call Deputy Bacik.