A note of a site visit in August 2023 said the discovery meant the OPW would need to reexamine the structure of the bicycle shelter and whether any changes were needed.

‘The OPW respects the rights of the community to protest peacefully; however, all workers have a right to dignity and respect in their workplace and have a right to a safe workplace'

The report, which was carried out by Deloitte, made three high priority findings and said there was an “absence of some fundamental good practices” for projects like the controversial bike shed.

The internal audit said there were no properly documented procedures for the scheme, while funding intended for one project ended up being spent on another.

The project at the Workplace Relations Commission was originally expected to cost around €200,000

In an opening statement given to members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on Tuesday, OPW officials argued that the cost was higher than forecast because of the emergency nature of the pilot programme.

Paschal Donohoe said while he was not involved in the decision and did not approve the spending, he ‘accepts responsibility’ as a finance minister

The latest figures show the OPW paid out €809,000 for security systems at the private residences of eleven individuals in the first six months of this year

The Office for Public Works has also come under recent scrutiny for spending €336,000 on a glass-covered bike shelter

The total bill for the covered shelter was €336,000.

A series of reports from the Office of Public Works (OPW) detail how the Áras was forced to call in exterminators on an almost monthly basis over the past year.