An OPW project to replace a 70-metre perimeter wall at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) for €490,000 has been described as "astonishing" by Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.
The works at the WRC in Dublin were originally expected to cost around €200,000 exclusive of VAT.
However, the discovery of a high voltage live ESB cable and a leaking pipe during preliminary works led to a delay of two years and unforeseen cost overruns.
The extra works ended up adding more than €250,000 to the bill.
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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Gannon said the high costs of the OPW is "a plague on all our houses when the public sees such a level of waste and no degree of political oversight or intervention".
The Dublin Central TD also referred to controversies that surrounded the building of a bike shelter at Leinster House and a security office at Government Buildings last year.
"I think for most of us, it's just really surprising that an agency could have so little oversight over the public's money, and I think it just erodes trust," he said.
Mr Gannon said that he understood how unforeseen complications can arise but added that the public cannot understand how they lead to extensive delays and massively increased costs.
The OPW acknowledged there were "very significant delays as well as increased costs" on the job at Lansdowne House in Ballsbridge.
This included payments of €54,000 to the ESB to redirect the wire and €61,500 to Dublin City Council so footpaths and public parking could be closed off.
A further €82,200 was spent on ancillary costs, according to a detailed breakdown of spending provided by the OPW under FOI after a long delay.
"What they [the public] won't understand is that it culminates in two years of a delay," Mr Gannon said.
He added: "Engagements between all sorts of different agencies including the ESB, Dublin City Council for blocking off the road and allowing access to public car parks at another increased cost.
"The idea that €7,000 per square metre, I mean, nobody would accept that as a reasonable sum."
He also called for the Government to outline what it intends to do about getting benefits for their own money, adding that it appears that the OPW is operating without oversight.
"I do believe there should be political oversight of projects like this," he said.
A decision was made to rebuild the wall using salvaged bricks, with a preliminary estimate of €213,366 inclusive of VAT for the work.
However, Mr Gannon said that he did not think anyone could stand over the price of paying almost €250,000 for a 70-metre wall.
'Unacceptable' lack of cost breakdown for WRC wall project - Tóibín
The lack of a sufficient cost breakdown for the OPW's perimeter wall is "unacceptable", Aontú's Peadar Tóibín has said.
"We have the ancillary charge of €82,000. It’s unacceptable for the OPW to turn around and box all of that cost into together and not give a detail as to what exactly it stands for," Mr Tóibín said.
The Meath West TD added: "That should be as clear as crystal."
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Tóibín said the OPW failed to do "the necessary work" to establish the final cost of the project, adding they "didn't have enough bricks to finish".
This, he said, then "created a delay which created cost".
"It's a sixth class maths question of how many bricks would you need given the size of that brick and the full area of the wall," he said.
"The idea that the OPW did not actually do the necessary work to work that out is absolutely incredible," he added.
Mr Tóibín said there is "a cost" to such issues, adding it is "right across the delivery of big projects in this country" and not just in relation to the OPW.
Citing costs associated with the National Children's Hospital, he said: "If we tolerate this it means that we’re going to incinerate taxpayer money."
