Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the witnesses for being here on a day the Committee of Public Accounts does not normally sit. This speaks to the importance of why we are here. This committee supervises our audits and the billions of euro that is spent. The idea that an expenditure of €336,000 would draw our attention speaks to the point as regards this issue, namely, that many people cannot get their heads around how anyone could sign off on bike parking facilities costing that sum of money.

My colleague, Deputy Verona Murphy, said that we may or may not be here next year when the witnesses come back to present next year's accounts but I can tell them that every single time any of us in on a canvass, somebody mentions the bike shed. We are being held to account for the actions the OPW has taken. It has fundamentally undermined the trust and confidence the public has in all public spending. I cannot tell Mr. Conlon the damage the OPW has caused to really important public projects. When local authorities transform a park, people are going to ask how much it cost. I am really frustrated that we are here for such a small amount of money but an incredible amount of waste.

I will ask for some facts first before I go any further on that. The OPW is the owner of the Leinster House building but the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission represents those who occupy it. Is that correct?