Decentralisation Programme.

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Questions (280)

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

345 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will state, in view of the decentralisation programme announced in December 2003, the properties rented or acquired as a consequence of the decentralisation programme in respect of his Department and of every State body for which it is responsible; the date of commencement of the rental or date of purchase of each property; the cost of each property purchased or the annual rental of each property rented; the number of staff transferred into each property as of 1 January of each year from the commencement of the rental or the date of the acquisition of each property in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5636/10]

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Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy John Gormley)

The Office of Public Works has responsibility for the provision of office accommodation and/or rental costs, where they occur, under the decentralisation programme. In advance of the relocation to the Department's new headquarters in Wexford, some 130 staff have been accommodated in three temporary offices in Wexford town. Details of these offices are set out in the following table:

Property in Wexford	Date property occupied by Department	Property Cost	No. of staff located at the property
Office at Ardcavan Business Park	June 2007	N/A — Rental Cost incurred by OPW	45
Office at Ardcavan Business Park	September 2009	N/A — Rental Cost incurred by OPW	47
Office space at D/Agriculture offices, Johnstown Castle	September 2008*	N/A	39

*This office is the property of the Office of Public Works.

I have been advised by the Office of Public Works that following recent discussions between it and the contractor, the new Headquarters building for my Department is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. Matters relating to property acquisition for the State bodies under the aegis of the Department are the responsibility of the bodies themselves.