Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Mar 1967

Vol. 227 No. 4

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leasing of Government Offices.

36.

Mr. Sweetman

asked the Minister for Finance if he will give particulars of all the premises occupied by Government Departments in Dublin city and county which are not held in fee simple, giving in the case of such premises the office area, the occupying Department and the term of years for which each has been leased.

Mr. J. Gibbons

The reply is in the form of a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Premises	Occupying Department or Office	Office Area (sq. feet)	Term of years leased
4 Kildare Street	An Foras Forbartha Teo.	5,550	For ever.
23/28 Kildare Street	Industry and Commerce; Transport and Power. Education (National Museum)	44,100	Partly for ever, partly for 99 years from 1901 and partly for 1,000 years from 1926.
State group of buildings: Kildare Street/ Merrion Square	Education (National College of Art)	1,300	Partly for ever and partly for 999 years from 1754.
,,(National Library)	1,700
	,,(Science and Art Museum)	7,400
	,,(National Gallery)	1,300
	,,(Natural History Museum)	500
Kildare Street (West Block Government Buildings)	Justice; Agriculture and Fisheries	14,000	50 years from 1936.
15/16 Upper Merrion Street	Agriculture and Fisheries	5,900	For ever.
17 Upper Merrion Street	Finance; Agriculture and Fisheries	1,200	50 years from 1934.
21 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	3,200	25 years from 1949.
26 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	2,100	1,000 years from 1942.
27 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	3,600	83 years from 1942.
28 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	3,500	82 years from 1943.
29 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	3,700	99 years from 1943.
31 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	2,500	99 years from 1939.
32 Upper Merrion Street	Lands: Comptroller and Auditor General.	2,400	89 years from 1939.
33 Upper Merrion Street	Lands	2,300	50 years from 1935.
2 Merrion Square	Lands	3,300	For ever.
3 Merrion Square	Lands	4,100	89 years from 1940.
5 Merrion Square	Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies	2,600	99 years from 1960.
44/45 Merrion Square	Industry and Commerce (Industrial and Commercial Property Registration Office)	6,100	1,000 years from 1936.
61 Merrion Square	Lands	3,800	99 years from 1942.
64/65 Merrion Square	Finance;	6,840	91 years from 1936.
	Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
73 Merrion Square	Lands;	3,600	99 years from 1936.
	Irish Manuscripts Commission
83 Merrion Square	Lands	3,600	99 years from 1939.
88/89 Merrion Square	Lands	7,400	Partly for 1,000 years from 1929 and partly for 1,000 years from 1930.
93 Merrion Square	Lands	4,000	1,000 years from 1931.
8/9 Merrion Square	Office of Public Works	2,700	10 years from 1960.
1 Hume Street/46 St. Stephen's Green	Agriculture and Fisheries; Lands	7,400	Partly for ever and partly for 21 years from 1959.
10 Hume Street	Office of Public Works	1,800	For ever.
14 Hume Street	Industry and Commerce (Geological Survey)	4,200	21 years from 1950.
19 Hume Street	Finance	1,070	10 years from 1960.
5/6 Ely Place	Finance (Valuation Office and Civil Service Commission)	10,300	50 years from 1947.
14 St. Stephen's Green	Irish National Productivity Committee.	3,500	21 years from 1953.
21 St. Stephen's Green	Finance (Estate Duty Office)	6,600	Yearly tenancy.
45 St. Stephen's Green	Justice (Adoption Board)	1,800	Yearly tenancy.
50/51 St. Stephen's Green	Office of Public Works	36,000	Partly for ever and partly for 999 years from 1830.
78/81 St. Stephen's Green	External Affairs; Finance (Special Employment Schemes Office)	23,500	Partly for ever and partly for 999 years from 1880.
St. Stephen's Green House	Roinn an Taoisigh (Central Statistics Office); Office of Public Works.	27,000	21 years from 1965.
26/27 Pembroke Street Upper	Justice	7,150	Partly for 99 years from 1939 and partly for 101½ years from 1936.
21 Fitzwilliam Square	Industry and Commerce (An Foras Tionscal)	3,100	For ever.
69 Fitzwilliam Square	Agriculture and Fisheries	1,280	5 years from 1962.
13/14 Earlsfort Terrace	Office of Public Works	10,600	250 years from 1878.
25/26 Earlsfort Terrace	Roinn na Gaeltachta	4,900	15 years from 1956.
11A Harcourt Terrace	Justice (Film Censor's Office)	1,000	800 years from 1918.
Rere 12/16 Harcourt Terrace	Agriculture and Fisheries (Butter Testing Station)	300	Partly for ever and partly for 200 years from 1874.
I.C.T. House, Adelaide Road	Agriculture and Fisheries	3,120	7 years from 1961.
51 Lr. Baggot Street	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	2,150	10 years from 1962.
73 Lr. Baggot Street	Economic Research Institute	3,900	150 years from 1828.
120/121 Lr. Baggot Street	Finance	2,960	15 years from 1962.
128 Lr. Baggot Street	Finance (Civil Service Arbitration Board);	2,000	21 years from 1957.
	Justice (Office of Charitable Donations and Bequests)
50 Upper Mount Street	Industry and Commerce (Fair Trade Commission);	3,700	7 years from 1960.
	Agriculture and Fisheries
1 Mount Street Crescent	Industry and Commerce (An Foras Tionscal)	1,600	15 years from 1954.
7/8 Mount Street Crescent	Industry and Commerce (Industrial Development Authority)	4,770	15 years from 1952.
Pembroke Row	Office of Public Works (Central Building Maintenance Depot)	4,500	150 years from 1946.
34/37 Clarendon Street	Posts and Telegraphs	9,030	Half-yearly tenancy.
73 Harcourt Street	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	1,500	20 years from 1959.
Ansley House, Mespil Road.	Labour; Finance	38,500	75 years from 1965.
34 Molesworth Street	Office of Public Works	2,900	21 years from 1958.
3 Exchange Court	Posts and Telegraphs	200	896 years from 1805.
Werburgh Street	Social Welfare (Employment Exchange)	4,700	For ever.
70/74 Upper Stephen's Street	Posts and Telegraphs	9,400	For ever.
28/29 and 38/43 Ship Street	Posts and Telegraphs; Finance (Revenue Commissioners);	6,880	For ever.
	Social Welfare
28/29 College Green	Post and Telegraphs	8,600	Partly for ever and partly for 500 years from 1905.
19/22 Dame Street	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	4,100	17 years from 1962.
3 Lr. Ormond Quay	Agricultural Wages Board; (Probation Officers) Department of Justice	3,500	50 years from 1920.
21 Parliament Street	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	5,200	150 years from 1899.
Dún Uí Ghriofa, South Circular Road.	Roinn an Taoisigh (Central Statistics Office)
(North Block and portion of West Block).	Office of Public Works; Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	25,700	999 years from 1874.
Victoria Street, S.C. Road.	Social Welfare (Employment Exchange)	1,300	10 years from 1961.
121/125 Lr. Rathmines Road.	Office of Public Works	1,500	Partly for 490 years from 1923, partly 490 years from 1924 and partly 488 years from 1933.
Dundrum Road	Central Mental Hospital (Department of Health)	900	For ever.
Greenmount Lane, Harold's Cross.	Posts and Telegraphs	1,530	For ever.
Veterinary College, Ballsbridge.	Agriculture and Fisheries	1,300	Periods expiring in 2,200
9/10 Burlington Road	Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.	4,500	For ever.
18 Lansdowne Road	Finance	1,760	15 years from 1962.
Hume House, Ballsbridge	Agriculture and Fisheries (Veterinary College)	3,930	35 years from 1966.
Haddington Road	Finance (Stationery Office)	8,600	For ever.
John's Lane Distillery	Finance (Revenue Commissioners).	700	Yearly tenancy.
St. James's Gate Brewery	Finance (Revenue Commissioners).	300	Quarterly tenancy.
Jamestown Road, Inchicore.	Office of Public Works	5,000	Partly for 50 years from 1951 and partly for 46 years from 1955.
Main Street, Lucan	Social Welfare	170	Yearly tenancy.
91 Lr. George's Street, Dún Laoghaire.	Social Welfare	300	99 years from 1903.
93 Lr. George's Street, Dún Laoghaire.	Social Welfare (Employment Exchange).	2,100	15 years from 1951. New lease under negotiation.
Chantilly Stud Farm, Shankill.	Agriculture and Fisheries	Nil	Statutory tenancy. New lease under negotiation.
11/13 Upper O'Connell Street.	Finance (Revenue Commissioners); Posts and Telegraphs	38,310	Partly for 3¾ years from 1966, partly for 21 years from 1949 and partly for 50 years from 1952.
14/15 Upper O'Connell Street.	Finance (Revenue Commissioners).	17,300	Partly in fee simple and partly for 900 years from 1938.
24 Upper O'Connell Street.	Agriculture and Fisheries	4,800	21 years from 1959.
(3 Cathal Brugha Street)
44 Upper O'Connell Street.	Transport and Power	5,000	For ever.
45 Upper O'Connell Street.	Finance (Civil Service Commission).	6,900	For ever.
55/56 Upper O'Connell Street.	Finance (Revenue Commissioners); Agriculture and Fisheries; Transport and Power.	8,930	21 years from 1962.
General Post Office	Posts and Telegraphs	102,600	Partly for ever, partl for 284 years from 1831 and partly for 800 years from 1901.
28 Lr. O'Connell Street	Posts and Telegraphs	2,000	11 years from 1956.
10 Parnell Square	Posts and Telegraphs; Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	15,600	10 years from 1964.
28 Parnell Square	Posts and Telegraphs	4,200	867 years from 1947.
1 Beresford Place	Social Welfare	2,800	50 years from 1934.
16/17 Beresford Place	Social Welfare (Employment Exchange)	4,600	900 years from 1919.
Custom House	Finance (Revenue Commissioners);	56,700	Leasehold until 1970, freehold thereafter.
	Local Government; Health
Liberty Hall	Finance (Revenue Commissioners); Health;	8,000	7 years from 1965.
	Education.
Hawkins House	Finance (Revenue Commissioners);	58,000	14 years from 1965.
	Education; Posts and Telegraphs.
O'Connell Bridge House	Agriculture and Fisheries;	41,550	35 years from 1965.
	Local Government;
	Transport and Power;
	Finance (Office of Paymaster General)
Talbot House	Education	8,200	800 years from 1842.
28/29 Marlborough Street	Education	24,600	Partly for ever and partly for 800 years from 1847.
26 Eden Quay	Transport and Power (Mercantile Marine Office)	3,400	999 years from 1814.
100/105 Amiens Street	Posts and Telegraphs	800	Partly 800 years from 1845, partly 99 years from 1879 and partly 99 years from 1880.
61 Middle Abbey Street	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	1,850	14 years from 1961.
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin	Agriculture	Nil	For ever.
Marlboro House, Glasnevin	Education (School of Detention)	400	500 years from 1897.
6/9 Conyngham Road	Local Government	6,190	150 years from 1879.
Infirmary Road	Defence	44,600	1,960 years from 1846.
Pearse Street Letter Sorting Office	Posts and Telegraphs	2,500	999 years from 1764.
Montpelier Hill	Posts and Telegraphs	Nil	For ever.
Distillery Road	Posts and Telegraphs	2,370	840 years from 1946.
Thorndale (Beaumont Road)	Agriculture and Fisheries	260	500 years from 1910.
Abbotstown Farm, Castleknock	Agriculture and Fisheries	180	For ever.
82 Strand Street, Skerries	Finance (Revenue Commissioners)	190	Weekly tenancy.

NOTE: The statement does not include Military Establishments, Garda Síochána Stations, Telephone Exchanges or Post Offices, other than the General Post Office, O'Connell Street.

Mr. Sweetman

Could the Parliamentary Secretary tell me how many items approximately there are in it?

Mr. J. Gibbons

There are eight pages.

Mr. Sweetman

Could the Parliamentary Secretary indicate what is the difference then between this reply and that of 14th December when there were only nine items put forward?

Mr. J. Gibbons

If I knew what the question of 14th December was, I could tell the Deputy.

Mr. Sweetman

The Parliamentary Secretary answered it and he ought to know.

Mr. J. Gibbons

I do not recall answering the question.

Mr. Sweetman

It said that a number of offices were held in Dublin on lease. I have merely phrased this question for the purpose of keeping within the rules of order by changing the word "lease" to "fee simple."

Mr. J. Gibbons

There was some difference in phraseology.

Mr. Sweetman

I can assure the Parliamentary Secretary that there was not.

Mr. J. Gibbons

Deputy Sweetman asked how many there are. On the first eight pages, there are about 20 different premises listed; that would make 160 in all.

Mr. Sweetman

You said nine before; that was not right.

An Ceann Comhairle

Question No. 37.

Mr. Harte

I thought you were "bust"; you are richer than you thought you are.

Mr. Sweetman

The Parliamentary Secretary wants to hide it for some reason. We want to know why.

Mr. J. Gibbons

I should like to ask Deputy Sweetman what sinister thing he is trying to get at; then I could facilitate him in checking up on whatever sinister thing he thinks is there. If he will draft a question, I will answer it. How could I anticipate what Deputy Sweetman would ask?

Mr. Sweetman

Questions are for the purpose of putting these people in the dock. I will tell the Parliamentary Secretary why I ask the question. Its purpose is to make the Government tell the truth, which they did not do on 14th December.

Mr. Harte

It is not the first time this happened.

Mr. J. Gibbons

I take great exception to what Deputy Sweetman says.

Mr. Sweetman

The Parliamentary Secretary can take what he likes: he did not tell the truth.

Mr. J. Gibbons

If Deputy Sweetman believes this, he should not let it rest there: he should pursue it further in this House.

Mr. Sweetman

He will do so. The Parliamentary Secretary will be on the Adjournment on the first day after the Easter Recess for this purpose. It will be like Nítrigin Éireann again. I will teach him a lesson.