Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the representatives of the OPW for their contribution to this discussion. They are obviously aware that the bike shed scandal has brought the Houses of the Oireachtas, the OPW and the public services into disrepute. People cannot understand how a bike shed could cost the same as a house. I cannot think of any good explanation for why a bike shed would cost more than a house. I am still not clear, even after all the discussion we have had, how we have a bike shed that cost more than a house. I see the costings here and they do not make sense to me. After two hours of discussion, I cannot understand how the bike shed cost so much. As has been pointed out, it is open to the elements so it is not even clear that it will keep bicycles dry. I am not being glib but that is what somebody in my office who cycles said. That person is not using that bike shed, I hasten to add. The shed may not even protect the bicycles from the rain. It is quite an extraordinary situation and brings far bigger issues into disrepute. It is symbolic to the public of many things in respect of how their money is misused and misspent at an extraordinary level.

I would certainly like to see a more detailed breakdown. What the witnesses seem to be saying is that they understand where the costs come from but are not sure whether they represent value for money. I do not understand where these costs come from. I want to see a more detailed breakdown. I have seen a breakdown from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors or quantity surveyors on the construction of a house and different elements are included. The figure for the actual construction costs, €121,000, is the approximate cost of the construction of a house. There are also all these other things. Perhaps the witnesses can elaborate further or provide us with more detail. The public will find all of this hard to understand unless somebody explains how on earth a project could have been approved to spend as much money on a bike shed as on a house. That is the first thing.

It is being reported as we speak that the OPW proposed an area near the Members' bar on what is referred to as the west road. Is that right? Is that the area just under the Members' restaurant?