Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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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?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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And they wanted a second one.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There were lots of representations from all of them.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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From Labour.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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You guys wanted a bike shed.

A Deputy:

As did ye.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not want any bike shed.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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One third of a million euro.

A Deputy:

Who was on the commission?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputies, could you allow the answer, please - on both sides?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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A lot of working people, by the way, a lot of public servants, a lot of workers do want facilities in terms of-----

Máire Devine (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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That is not the issue.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----cycling to work or active travel. We are not responsible for the detailed-----

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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You think it is a laughing matter that you spent that much money on it?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, your Leader has asked a question. Allow a response, please.

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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It is not funny.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sorry?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Continue, Taoiseach, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know, but there are so many leaders emerging in Sinn Féin these days-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Well, now, Taoiseach, I-----

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Is that not a healthy thing? We do not have to go outside the party.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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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."

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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Nobody said that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Oh, this was the unions?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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No, no.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Please, Deputies.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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It is the Opposition's fault, it is the unions' fault - the Taoiseach is the head of Government.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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Is there anyone else to blame?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Workers want facilities. These facilities are not for anybody in here, except the Opposition TDs who did want the bike shed last year.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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They wanted a second one.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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They wanted a second one as well. They wanted two bike sheds for here. They wrote to the Ceann Comhairle for a bike shed-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The previous Ceann Comhairle.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----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?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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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.

A Deputy:

Nor are you.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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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.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Except for Belfast.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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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?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy, your time is up.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Please answer that.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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Have you read the e-tender? Read the e-tender.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Minister, please.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Minister, have some decorum, please. The Taoiseach to respond.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputies, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I can understand the Minister of State, Deputy Moran's annoyance because the bottom line is the Deputy's assertion-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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He is responsible.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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No, I am not.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Answer the question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have answered the question. Go and read the e-tender.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Is it good value for money?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank, you Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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With the greatest of respect-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Please.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Some €100,000.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Please. Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I could build you a bike shed for a lot cheaper than that. Some €100,000 - it is mental.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Very tetchy today, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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For God's sake, cop yourself on.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Bacik.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Go raibh maith agat Ceann Comhairle.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Taoiseach, please. Deputy Bacik is on her feet.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Go raibh maith agat Ceann Comhairle. I ask that we step aside from the cheap political point scoring for a moment. I want to raise a very serious issue on which I think there is commonality across this House, which is children's health. Specifically, the issue of children who have been suffering with scoliosis and spina bifida who have been failed for far too long by this State. I welcome the announcement this week that an inquiry will be held into the care of these children. This followed a long-awaited meeting between the Tánaiste, the Minister for Health and the brave and tireless advocates Gillian and Stephen Morrison Sherratt. As we know, their son Harvey was born with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and developing scoliosis. Sadly, Harvey died in July this year at the age of nine, eight months after eventually having surgery, having waited years for his operation. I reiterate my deepest sympathies to his family. Deputy Sherlock and I have already done so in person. I commend his parents and the campaigners from other parent groups of children suffering with these conditions who have campaigned and given such powerful advocacy. Many of us will have heard Gillian speaking powerfully on "Morning Ireland" this morning, emphasising two important asks in respect of the inquiry.

The first is that it must be public and the second is that it must be statutory. The Taoiseach and the Government have three weeks now to do right by every child impacted. Nothing less than a statutory public inquiry will do because children are still facing long delays for surgery. In many cases their condition is deteriorating as they languish on a waiting list. We know other children have had unnecessary hip surgeries. None of us will forget the heartbreaking testimony we have heard from parents who spoke about having to listen to children wailing with pain through the night. Families cannot take any more false hope or promises on this.

We all know that, back in 2017, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach's second in command, committed that no child would wait longer than four months for spinal surgery. Infamously and tragically, that promise came to nothing. We might, indeed, reflect on the fact a child who was ten years of age at the time that commitment was given would now be ageing out of the paediatric system. We have spoken before in this House about the failings at Children's Health Ireland, which are ongoing. Children with scoliosis and spina bifida, in particular, are paying a high price for the inability to deal with spinal surgery waiting lists. This has to be resolved for children who have already been failed, those in the system now and those who will have to wait in future.

The political system has not covered itself in glory on this. Gillian Sherratt says she still has not received answers as to why her son was removed from the urgent surgery list. The orphan report was never published, and nor were the Dickson report and the Nayagam report. As Deputy Sherlock has said, the Government needs to clarify the sequencing of these reports. Another thing to clarify is that back in April, the Taoiseach expressed confidence in Children's Health Ireland, even after a damning HIQA report was published, yet now we learn that CHI is being integrated into the HSE, as we had called for. I am asking the Taoiseach to clarify the following. First, will he commit that parents will have a genuine role in developing the terms of reference of this inquiry? Second, does he agree that it must be a statutory, public inquiry?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very serious issue that demands a very profound and comprehensive response. I again express my deepest sympathies to Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison on the very sad passing of their son Harvey. We have to do much better when it comes to healthcare services for our children. I understand the anger and frustrations felt by parents and the children and young people who are either awaiting surgery or are engaged with clinicians and hospitals in respect of their individual cases.

The Tánaiste and the Minister for Health met with Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison yesterday. There were advocates there also. A substantive, empathetic discussion ensued and it was agreed there would be a partnership approach to developing proposals in relation to the structure of an inquiry into spina bifida and scoliosis services at CHI and that a follow-up meeting would happen in three weeks. The Minister wants to reflect and discuss further with the parents on the precise nature of the inquiry. It is important that we give this thought and think it through to get the most effective inquiry. Obviously, we need an inquiry that is transparent and public, can enable us to get to the truth and also can get us to a better situation post inquiry for services for children right now and into the future.

I have supported the decision by the Minister to bring CHI under the HSE. In fact, I would be a strong advocate for that. In earlier exchanges in the Dáil over the past number of months, I have been signalling that the Minister was heading in that direction. It makes absolute sense to me. The original decision was based on three hospitals being brought together under one umbrella but, historically, health has been too institution-centred as opposed to being patient-centred. The move to bring CHI under the HSE is a welcome move to make it more child-centred in this respect, and patient-centred. That is important in my view. One of the reasons CHI was established was the sort of institutional focus - dare I say egos and so on? - that was there. We had the same thing with Holles Street and the maternity hospital. It was the same situation, with things taking too long and the institutions being at the centre instead of what is optimal for the patient, the children and the families. That is where we want to be.

Progress is being made in terms of spinal services.

That needs to be said, but it is not enough.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We need more capacity, both in human resources and physical capacity in terms of ring-fenced surgery and so forth, to enable us to make even further inroads into the waiting lists.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We all agree that the healthcare system, in particular children's healthcare, should be managed according to patient need, and not institutional need. As the Taoiseach has acknowledged, that has been a failing in the past. We welcome his commitment to engagement between the Minister and parents on the shape of the inquiry. Transparency must be at the heart of the inquiry for parents.

Coming back to CHI and the institutional change that has now been announced, back in April our health spokesperson, Deputy Sherlock, called for the HSE to take over the running of CHI. That was in response to the HIQA report detailing myriad failings: a failure to provide care, the use of non-surgical springs and a toxic internal culture. We all recall this. At that time, the Taoiseach expressed confidence in the board. Since then, the Minister and Bernard Gloster have said that they were kept in the dark about aspects of the reports into CHI. We are all wondering what changed the Taoiseach's mind. Why are we now bringing CHI under the remit of the HSE?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We welcome that, but how can we be confident that this change is going to deliver the transparency and the better, more effective and more patient-centred practice that we all want?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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At that stage there would have been newer members on the board. This is important. It is very easy. This is a challenge. The Government has a responsibility to maintain existing services. In the interim, you just cannot announce new initiatives off the top of your head. I signalled very early on the move that has transpired in respect of CHI coming in under the remit of the HSE. In fact, originally - I might have been in opposition at the time - my view was that it should have come under the HSE from day one. To be fair, these are big organisational changes. They are not going to happen overnight because there is a transition process and a lot of work. You have to bring teams with you, and so on. Clearly, we have had more reports since and we have more reports to come. The Nayagam report on governance has still to come, which should feed into any inquiry that emerges. That work can be useful to any inquiry team. We must bring clinicians along. Operations and surgeries will have to continue while an inquiry is under way.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That may potentially create challenges as well.