James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is, because the OPW is developing it. I want to get an insight. This is correspondence that the OPW has chosen to provide and I want to refer to it. The OPW withheld the cost from the commission. For the people who are listening in, the commission is made up of Members of all parties of all political creeds. These individuals are appointed by their respective party whips or political groupings if they are Independents. It is not a Government body; it is a stand-alone body that has responsibility. That is important to explain because the public might not be fully aware of that. Did the OPW not take the perspective that this was a very expensive development in the grounds of the national Parliament? We all know the reputational harm that has been caused because what the OPW has done has been exposed by means of freedom of information requests. This has turned into a national embarrassment. The story has gone international because it was so badly managed and handled. Did anyone take a step back and say that perhaps it was not wise to build a glass shelter for bicycles that cost the same as a detached house on the grounds of the national Parliament? That is a very fair question to ask of the OPW.

We heard questions about whether this came up at audit and risk. As regards the reputational harm the OPW has done, does Mr. Conlon feel any remorse in his role, on behalf of his organisation? I know he was not there when this decision was taken and I acknowledge that fully-----