Departmental Properties

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2019

Tuesday, 18 June 2019

Questions (686, 687)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

686. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of land purchased and leased by size and amount expended in the past five years to date; the location of same; the term of the lease and amount expended per year in cases in which land is leased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25381/19]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

687. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of buildings and property purchased and leased and the amount expended in the past five years to date; the location of same; the term of the lease and the amount expended per year in cases in which properties are leased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25398/19]

Written answers

Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 together.

In general, matters relating to the acquisition and leasing of property for my Department are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works. However, I am advised that my Department has also leased a small number of properties over the period in question, the details of which are shown in the relevant tables below.

My Department owns significant lands across the country, including national parks , national monuments sites, nature reserves and other property acquired for purposes of heritage protection and conservation.

Details of Properties purchased by the National Monuments Service Unit of the Department in connection with the protection ,conservation and presentation of national monuments are set out in the following table.

Year	Details of Property	Cost
2014	Askeaton Gate Lodge, Co. Limerick	€20,000
2015	14-17 Moore Street, Dublin	€4,000,000

Details of purchases of land by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department in connection with the management of National Parks and Reserves are set out in the following table.

Year	Details of Property	Cost
2016	4,900 acres at Glenasmole, Wicklow Mountains National Park, Co. Dublin 64 hectares at Srahduggan, Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park, Co. Mayo	€800,000 €220,000
2017	4 acres at Burren Information Point, Corofin, Co. Galway	€175,000
2018	47 acreas at Bleanmore Island, Co. Mayo	€ 65,000

Details of smaller purchases of land by the Peatlands Management Unit, Site Protection Unit and Bog Relocation Unit of the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme, over the period in question are set out in the following table.

Year	Amount of Land purchased	Location (County)	Cost
2014	7 acres 2 acres 7 acres 29 acres 28 acres 6 acres	Longford Clare Offaly Galway Mayo Tipperary	€291,500
2015	3 acres 42 acres 23 acres 50 acres 15 acres 3 acres	Tipperary Offaly Meath Galway Westmeath Roscommon	€494,326
2016	11 acres 3 acres 65 acres 7 acres 11 acres 19 acres 18 acres	Leitrim Meath Roscommon Westmeath Mayo Galway Offaly	€353,223
2017	140 acres 11 acres 70 acres 15 acres 2 acres	Tipperary Galway Roscommon Mayo Leitrim	€719,739
2018	22 acres 52 acres 15 acres 41 acres	Offaly Galway Mayo Westmeath	€736,814
2019 (to date)	11 acres 11acres 4 acres 6 acres	Roscommon Westmeath Offaly Galway	€116,042

My Department has also entered into lease arrangements with Bord na Móna for relocation sites for turf cutters from designated bogs under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme. The term of these leases is 65 years and the full cost of the lease will be paid over the first 7 years of the 65 year period. From 2014 to date the Department has spent €510,469 on these leases. The 2019 payment will be made later in the year. The cost of each lease is based upon the projected amount of hoppers of turf that will be extracted from each relocation site.

Year	Amount of Land Leased	Location (County)
2014	44 acres 83.5 acres	Offaly Galway
2015	44 acres 83.5 acres	Offaly Galway
2016	44 acres 103.7 acres 1.5 acres	Offaly Galway Westmeath
2017	44 acres 103.7 acres 1.5 acres	Offaly Galway Westmeath
2018	44 acres 103.7 acres 1.5 acres	Offaly Galway Westmeath
2019 to date	44 acres 103.7 acres 1.5 acres	Offaly Galway Westmeath

Properties Leased by the Department

2014

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 years	€ 1,499
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 years	€ 8,717

2015

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 years	€ 4,995
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 years	€ 9,812

2016

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 Years	€ 4,995
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 Years	€14,161
LIFE Project Office, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath	5 Years	€10,325

2017

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 Years	€ 4,995
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 Years	€ 8,717
LIFE Project Office, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath	5 Years	€12,167
An Coimisinéir Teanga,An Spidéal, Gaillimh	10 Years	€48,228

2018

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 Years	€ 4,995
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 years	€ 8,717
LIFE Project Office, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath	5 Years	€12,167
An Coimisinéir Teanga,An Spidéal, Gaillimh,	10 Years	€48,019

2019

Details of Property	Term of Lease	Cost (to date)
Kerry LIFE Project Office , Shanacashel Community Centre	5 Years	€ 1,499
Burren Life Project ,Office, Carron Parish Community Hall, Co. Clare	5 Years	€ 0
LIFE Project Office, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath	5 Years	€6,083
An Coimisinéir Teanga,An Spidéal, Gaillimh,	10 Years	€24,009

For completeness, I wish to advise that my Department also uses part of a storage facility in Swords, Co. Dublin, leased by the OPW on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. The annual cost to my Department is €140,000.