Much of the outrage about the cost of the Dáil bike shelter is down to a lack of respect for green infrastructure, one journalist has claimed. 

The €336,000 cost of the structure was labelled ‘inexcusable and inexplicable’ by Taoiseach Simon Harris and a “profound embarrassment” by the Ceann Comhairle. 

The revelation has also led to a change in the procedure governing how civil servants are allowed to sign off on the spending of taxpayers’ money. 

On The Hard Shoulder, Newstalk journalist Simon Tierney said he agreed the cost of the bike shelter was excessive but described the outrage excessive. 

“If this money had been spent on a new car park, I don’t think anyone would have batted an eyelid,” he said. 

“So, while I accept that obviously the amount of money that was spent here was exorbitant and seems totally over the top, I don’t accept that we apply the same standards of criticisms to infrastructure involving cars.” 

Cars parked by the plinth outside the Dail. Image: RollingNews

Outside Leinster House is a car park for use by TDs, Senators and the staff who work for the Oireachtas. 

It is not, Simon believes, a good use of space in one of the most “iconic buildings” in the State. 

“It should be a matter of national and civic pride and yet almost the entirety of it is covered in cars,” he said. 

“In fact, the OPW itself currently spends €103,000 renting 28 car park spaces on the grounds of Leinster House every year. 

“Over the course of three years, that’s the cost of a bike shed - why on earth is the OPW using taxpayers’ money to rent car parking spaces? 

“That’s the real scandal here.” 

Simon described this lack of outrage as revealing what the public really “think about green transport infrastructure”. 

“It’s okay if we’re spending money on something which is big and purposeful but if something is civic and functional, then it doesn’t seem to deserve the same amount of money,” he said. 

The OPW has promised a full report into the Dáil bike shelter will be published in due course.

Main image: The newly constructed bike shelter at Leinster House. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews