Final cost of Leinster House bike shed likely to rise to allow e-bike charging

By Cate McCurry and Cillian Sherlock, PA

The final cost of the Leinster House bike shed is likely to rise to allow for the completion of the power and charging facilities for electric bikes (e-bikes), a committee has heard.

Officials from the Office of Public Works (OPW) appeared before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to answer questions about the high costs of the bike shelter.

The OPW has come under scrutiny for spending €336,000 on the glass-covered shelter, located on the grounds of Leinster House.

A breakdown of the costs from the OPW shows €121,194.29 alone was spent on manufacturing, supply and installation.

The chair of the OPW, John Conlon, said that cost of the bike shed is “completely not acceptable”, adding that the OPW will “seriously reflect” on the “extraordinary cost” of building the shelter.

The original specification for the bike shelter, which can store 36 bikes, included e-bike charging points. However, the points are not yet in operation.

OPW head of Heritage and Capital Works, Rosemary Collier, said: “The lights are installed in the bollards and the full power … there are 36 power boards in the floor of the granite to charge 36 bikes in the future.

“They can’t be operational now because you can’t certify charging for e-bikes now in the vicinity to the National Gallery.

“So, it’s all to do with building (regulations) and certification of charges for e-bikes at the moment, but in time, it’s future-proof, so that power and charging for e-bikes can be installed in the future.”

Green Party Senator Marie Sherlock said: “So the 336,051 figure is not the final figure for this bike shelter. There’s going to be additional costs in terms of making that operational future, in terms of getting the fire certs and all of that.”

Ms Collier said that it would be a fairly minimal cost.

“You’re talking about just putting in the individual power bollards for the physical charging of the bikes. It would be a fairly minimal charge,” she added.

“All the expensive work is putting in your electrics and that’s all future-proofed.”

During the committee hearing, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty asked the chair whether he believes the bike shed was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Mr Conlon said that the construction of the bike shelter came “at a very expensive cost”.

“I don’t accept it was a waste of taxpayers’ money. I do accept it was very, very expensive,” the chair added.

Mr Conlon, who was appointed to the chair in April and was not in the role at the time of the commissioning of the project, said that he “would certainly” have raised questions about the costs.

He said he would have been “very uncomfortable” about the costs and would have questioned it.

“I would think at that stage, I would have asked for re-scoping of the project,” he added.

“The team that delivered this project had regard to the processes and procedures in place. What they did not have regard to was a judgment call when they saw the cost arising.

“I would point to what I have identified as the weakness in that process. I think the business case could have been stronger, and I think with regard to the cost at that early stage, should have been more upfront.”

Aontú leader Peadar Toibin told the committee that the issue of the cost of the bike shed is “not unique”.

“The bike shed, the Gucci bike shed, is simply a tip of the iceberg in relation to Government waste, in relation to public delivery of infrastructure, and that’s really damaging for citizens, because we’re incinerating hard-earned taxpayers’ money,” he said.

“Also, we have a situation where the delivery of infrastructure is grinding to a halt, so people can’t consume that infrastructure that they need. The bike shed is emblematic of all of that.”

Finance Committee chairman John McGuinness said the blame rests firmly with the Oireachtas Commission – which oversees the running of the houses – for not conducting its business properly.

He also accused the OPW of “recklessly spending” the public’s money, adding: “There’s a culture there that stinks.”

Ms Collier said it was a “weakness” that the Oireachtas Commission was not presented with costs when they were presented with and signed off on the project.

Mr Conlon told Mr McGuinness: “The House of the Oireachtas Executive and Commission should be informed regularly at the cost of projects.”

Following its review, the OPW said it will now oversee and approve works costing more than €200,000.