Problems surrounding the removal of car parking space for TDs and Senators, along with the challenge of maintaining the functioning of the Dáil, have resulted in delays for the construction of a bike shelter at Leinster House costing €335,000. Documentation from the Oireachtas, which surfaced after a freedom of information request, indicated that the finish date for the project changed multiple times. Strict measures were implemented to achieve full dust containment and prevent any rubbish from blocking sensitive historical drainage systems.
The papers shed some light on the excessive cost of the project. Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Feargháil conveyed to the Dáil this week that the final cost of €336,051 was a significant source of shame. The foundation of the project was reportedly going to be laid in the following weeks, according to a meeting between the OPW and the Oireachtas last September. They also mentioned that substantial work could only continue during periods of recess. The meeting outlined a completion date around the 14th of January when the TD’s and Senators’s car parking spaces would be returned.
However, come the next month, the project, which was seemingly on schedule, describing the work as “in the process of fabrication”, having the “hand-over” date still towards mid-January. Yet, by January, there was a delay, and reports from a meeting noted that the revised completion date was now second week of March. February saw another delay, this time until late March.
The records also highlighted the Oireachtas’s concern about the temporary removal of parking spaces for politicians. An email between officials last September read: “We have received instructions to ensure the barriers around the proposed bike parking are dismantled before the sessions recommence. The hoarding has claimed about ten parking spaces and it’s unsustainable once the members return.”
An email from September of last year clarified why initially, the concept scheme for the bike station included the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging ports for bikes. Subsequently, however, this idea was discarded due to a perceived “substantial fire hazard”.
The briefing also elucidated the reason for selecting the location close to Leinster Lawn for the bike shed, emphasising its conspicuousness and alignment with eco-friendly transportation. The message read: “Foundation work has commenced while the contract for the expert construction of the shelter has been issued. This order of work was purposefully designed to enable the first phase of establishing infrastructure for EV car charging to advance without other contractors present at the site, ensuring health and safety.”
A subsequent email in January disclosed an unforeseen scenario whereby workers stumbled across “sizable concrete blocks” which required extraction. The email stated, “The [National] Gallery and I are discussing this but I am directing the [contractor] to commence with the removal of the two less dense central blocks. Will inform you when this starts so that we can assess on-site the effect on the level of noise, bearing in mind that the Dáil is in session… so if it’s excessively loud we may need to postpone.”
A February correspondence outlined continued complications with dust management and preventing rubble from entering the “historic drains” of Leinster House.
By the end of February, a challenge cropped up regarding the relocation of the bike station’s structure. One email from the contractor stated: “We overlooked the space needed to hoist the bicycle shelter’s frame.”
The confirmation of Taoiseach Simon Harris also presented difficulties for the project. An internal email between officials read: “The Taoiseach’s election is on Tuesday 9th, suggesting that Monday 8th might not allow for any work on the Merrion side bike parking.”
When asked about the correspondences, a spokesperson for Oireachtas stated: “The Oireachtas Houses Commission was not involved in approving capital expenditure for the Leinster House bike shed. Neither was the cost charged to the Commission’s budget.” She stated that the proposal for a new bicycle shelter was presented to the Oireachtas Commission in June 2021, which was then approved.