Sinn Féin has called for a tender for a new €100,000 bike shed at the National Maternity Hospital to be scrapped.

A notice on the Government’s e-tenders website invites submissions for tenders to destroy the old shed and build a new one at an estimated cost of €100,000.

Sinn Féin’s Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty labelled the plan for a new bike shed as “outrageous” and referenced a previous controversy when €335,000 was spent on a bike shed at Leinster House.

The €100,000 tender for the proposed bike shed at the National Maternity Hospital includes destroying the existing bike shed and taking away all rubbish.

It is to cover the build of the replacement shed and includes sensor lighting.

So remember the bike shed that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael wasted €335,000 on?

We just found out tonight that €100,000 of taxpayers money is to be spent on another bike shed at the National Maternity Hospital.

It is outrageous wasting money like this when so many people are… pic.twitter.com/N9LVguAcHI

— Pearse Doherty (@PearseDoherty) September 27, 2025

It also covers improvement to the ground so that it is entirely even and any tree stumps that are in the way are removed.

In May, a report into the bicycle shelter installed at Leinster House found that there was an “absence of some fundamental good practices”, including a value for money assessment, ahead of the project’s construction.

The conclusion is made in a Deloitte audit for the Office of Public Works.

The audit was sought by the Government and the OPW after Opposition outcry over the bike shelter.

The costs include €284,000 spent on construction and installation, €10,000 on contract administration and €4,000 on archaeological services.

There was double gold joy for Ireland at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai as Fiona Murtagh in the women’s singles and Fintan McCarthy and Mags Cremen in the mixed double sculls both assumed top place in their respective podiums.

In the single sculls, Galway woman Murtagh, part of the historic Women’s Four that won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, led from start to finish.

Despite leading right through, the 30-year-old was pushed all the way by Great Britain, with Lauren Henry powering through the final 500m to be pipped by just three hundredths of a second.

GOLDEN GIRL 🥇🇮🇪

Fiona Murtagh secures gold in the Women’s Single Sculls at the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China 🇨🇳#WorldRowingChamps #WRCHShanghai pic.twitter.com/PRJJHYFN83

— World Rowing (@WorldRowing) September 28, 2025

It continues Ireland’s fine tradition in the event courtesy of Sanita Puspure, a two-time World and European Champion in the discipline.

Half an hour later Fintan McCarthy claimed his second medal of the Championships in the mixed double sculls alongside Cremen.

Having taken bronze in the men’s double sculls alongside Philip Doyle, McCarthy partnered up alongside Cremen as Ireland was represented in the event for the first time.

It was the Swiss crew that made the early running, but the Irish boat soon found their rhythm to move to the front. It was the Dutch boat that competed all the way to the line, with McCarthy and Cremen winning by .7 of a second in a time of 6:22.24.

McCarthy’s twin Jake won bronze in the men’s lightweight singles on Saturday.

Kyiv has come under heavy drone and missile bombardment this morning, in what independent monitors said was one of the biggest Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region since the war began.

At least three people were killed and about ten injured in the city, the head of Kyiv’s military administration said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia had launched a “massive” air attack on the country involving hundreds of missiles and drones.

He said the attack underlined the need for more punitive sanctions against Russia to force it to stop its aggression.

“Putin must feel the danger of continuing this war – personally for him, his buddies’ pockets, his economy, and his regime,” he posted on X, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“That is what can make him stop this senseless war.”

Several other regions were also hit in the strike, with at least 16 people, including three children, injured in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, authorities said.

Several buildings were damaged and on fire in Zaporizhzhia, footage posted on social media channels in the area showed.

In Kyiv, drones flew over the city and anti-aircraft fire rang out for several hours, according to Reuters witnesses. Loud explosions were also heard. The attack was continuing as of 9.15 local time (7.15 Irish time).

Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a fire had broken out at a state cardiological hospital as a result of the attack.

Some residents fled to metro stations deep underground for safety, sleeping on makeshift beds or sitting on deck chairs following events on their phones.

Neighbouring Poland closed airspace near two of its southeastern cities and its air force scrambled jets in response.