Paul Hosford: Chambers hopes budget resonates with voters more than the bicycle shed

It took more than an hour but eventually the cycle shed cropped up during Budget 2025 proceedings in Leinster House

The subtext to the comments by Finance Minister Jack Chambers was clear: While the spending is massive, this is not 2007. Picture: PA

It took 67 minutes for the first mention of the bike shed — for 66 minutes through the speeches of Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, nobody had mentioned  the €336,000 white elephant tucked to the side of the back of the Leinster House campus.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty took on the responsibility, reminding Donohoe of the shelter, which has cost more in public goodwill than it did in cash, which is really saying something.