Ireland has spent almost £300,000 on a shelter that can hold just 18 bicycles at its parliament buildings in Dublin as part of its fight against climate change

The bike shed at Leinster House was initially being hailed as a good example of public sector environmental action.

MPs said that the structure was not even a shed but an L-shaped canopy, which meant bikes belonging to politicians, staff and visitors could still get wet if it rained.

Simon Harris, Ireland’s prime minister, said the €336,000 (£283,300) bill, blamed on ensuring the shelter was in keeping with historic Leinster House, was “inexcusable and inexplicable”.

He welcomed an immediate review into how the money was spent, which was ordered by Kieran O’Donnell, the minister for public works, on Tuesday.

‘Angry and annoyed’

The Taoiseach said there were benefits to workplaces providing parking for bikes, but not at such a cost.

“People get that. What they don’t get is the extraordinary sum of money that this has cost, and I don’t either quite frankly,” he told reporters. “This is the sort of thing that rightly angers and annoys people and it angers and annoys me as well.”

Helen McEntee, the justice minister, added it “seems like an astronomical amount for what is essentially a bike shed”.

The Office of Public Works said the construction of the shelter presented “several unique challenges” because it was  built on the Leinster House complex, which is “a protected structure of national importance”.

A spokesman said, “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.”

The cost was first revealed by the Irish Times. A breakdown of the costs showed €322,282 was spent on construction and installation, €2,952 was spent on archaeological services and €10,816 were spent on quantity surveying services and “contract administration services”.

Eamon Ryan, a Green minister in the coalition government, had praised the shelter on environmental grounds in April.

On Tuesday, he said he was “shocked” by the bill, which he said seemed “incredibly expensive”.

Neasa Hourigan, a Green Party MP who is an architect, told the RTE broadcaster it should have cost half as much.

“It is the cost of constructing a house. It’s not even a shed, it’s an L-shaped canopy. So your bike’s possibly still going to get wet,” she said.