IN A HEATED back-and-back forth over a €100,000 tender for a bike shed at the new National Maternity Hospital, the Taoiseach was accused of being a “smart alec”.

Kicking of Leaders’ Questions this week, McDonald raised the tender which invites submissions to destroy the old shed and build a new one at an estimated cost of €100,000.

Sinn Féin’s party leader Mary Lou McDonald called the tender “outrageous” and referenced a previous controversy when €335,000 was spent on a bike shed at Leinster House.

At at time when there is a cost-of-living crisis and electricity credits are not being rolled out again this year, McDonald said such a spend on a new bike shed is a “slap in the face” to taxpayers.

Responding, the Taoiseach said the bike shelter at the new maternity hospital would be for the use of hospital staff cycling to work.

“Value of money should apply”, said, adding: 

“It shouldn’t be costing outrageous sums of money and it should be done modestly and very simple structures should be put in place. It shouldn’t have to cost €100,000 to provide a bike shed.”

During the back-and-forth exchange, the Taoiseach said Minister of State for the OPW Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran informed him that the bike shed will cost approximately €32,000 and not €100,000.

“There is a lot more else going on there,” he said.

Martin said there was a lot of “messing” went on, for years, regarding getting the new maternity hospital greenlighted, he said.

Such delays in getting that project off the ground increases the cost of the project, he argued, stating that no one on the opposition benches wants to look into that matter.

He accused Sinn Féin of going for “a cheap headline” by raising the matter of the bike shed tender.

Raising the matter of the bike shed in Leinster House, which caused a lot of controversy, the Taoiseach said it was the opposition members that wanted the bike shed on the complex.

In fact, they wanted two bike sheds, he told the Dáil, highlighting that they had written to the Ceann Comhairle at the time about the matter before condemning the cost of it.

Returning to the issue of the latest bike shed tender at the maternity hospital, Martin said he presumes it’s for workers to facilitate them if they’re cycling to work.

“I think therefore you need to be careful. Are we saying workers shouldn’t have facilities in an active travel context to reduce traffic congestion?” he asked. 

“No, we’re saying that a bike shed should not cost €335,000, nor should it cost one hundred grand. That’s what we’re saying. And here’s the issue. So you may smirk, if you wish, Taoiseach, but the reality is that your government’s track record in terms of wastage of public money is absolutely incredible.

“And your performance there, your attempt at a smart alecky narrative is probably the reason why, because you don’t take it seriously, because what’s it to you at the end of the day. You’re not struggling to meet your grocery bill. You’re not struggling to make your rent or your mortgage,” she said. 

The Taoiseach retorted that McDonald’s assertions today are “bogus” “flawed” and ”not serious”.

“No one’s taking that kind of nonsense serious,” he said. Martin then shot back at Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty, telling him that he should go and design the new bike shed “and come back with the cost and we’ll take it away and see what we can do with it”. 

“I could build you a bike shed for a lot cheaper than that.  €100,000 – it is mental,” said Sinn Féín’s Pearse Doherty. TD Ruairí Ó Murchú then commented: “Very tetchy today, Taoiseach.”

“Cop yourself on, for God’s sake, cop yourself on,” said the Taoiseach.