OPW defends €335k bicycle shelter outside Irish parliament building

— The Minister for State with responsibility for the OPW orders review of the project.

The Office of Public Works has tonight defended the high costs of providing 32 bicycle parking spaces with a shelter on the grounds of Leinster House.

In earlier media reports, the structure was described as a bicycle shed, but it is actually a bicycle shelter — it resembles a long bus stop shelter with bicycle racks under it.

The high cost of a new €335k bicycle parking shelter at Leinster House was revealed today in articles by freelance journalist Ken Foxe. He was told that scoping documentation was prepared as the planning application for the work “cannot be released for security reasons”.

The OPW confirmed tonight that a breakdown of the cost of the bicycle parking and associated works includes €283,949.59 for construction and installation, €10,816.52 for “Contract Admin Services”, and €38,333 for “re-charge VAT”.

Nearly €3k was also spent on archaeological services, including €1,968 for a monitoring report and two amounts of €492 for a “licence application and method” and “archaeological monitoring.”

RTE and other media outlets reported earlier today that Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan is shocked at the cost and questioned the high cost. This was following his previous praise of the project as an example of public sector climate action. The Department of Transport has yet to respond to questions from this website about whether Minister Ryan was previously aware of the cost of the bicycle parking.

RTE also reported that the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, told the broadcaster that the issue was a “matter for the Oireachtas.” The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission — not the Government — are responsible for matters relating to the running of the parliament building and its grounds.

However, the OPW confirmed tonight that the Minister of State responsible for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell, “has requested his officials to carry out an immediate full review of the project.”

The Office of Public Works (OPW), which manages State buildings, said that the “project was procured via a framework agreement and complies with public procurement and planning guidelines.” The OPW added that it “recognises the importance of ensuring that public money is spent transparently.”

It contains 18 racks, known as Sheffield stands, each of which can hold two bicycles, giving the unit a capacity of 36 bicycles.

In a statement released tonight, the Office of Public Works said that it “acknowledges the recent discussions in relation to the costs associated with the construction of a bicycle shelter in Leinster House.”

It said that in May 2021 that it was requested by the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas to
“provide a visible, covered bicycle shelter for the Houses of the Oireachtas on Leinster Lawn”, on the Merrion Square side of Leinster House.

It said: “That Part 9 Planning process was lodged during October 2022 and granted during November 2022.”

The OPW said that its planning application outlined how the “bicycle shelter was to have no material impact on the historic fabric of Leinster House, the adjoining National Gallery or historic elements in Leinster Lawn.”

The statement said: “The contractor was appointed during December 2023. The works commenced in early January 2024 with excavation works and continued through to March 2024 with construction of the steel and glass structure and putting in place the granite paving. Final works were completed by mid-April 2024.”

It added: “Located within the setting of Leinster House, a protected structure of national importance, the construction of the bike shelter involved several unique challenges. The structure consists of a steel framed, glazed canopy to ensure long term durability. The materials used, including Irish granite, glass and steel were carefully selected not only for their durability, but also for their compatibility with the historic setting of our national parliament.”