Office of Public Works

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 February 2022

Tuesday, 15 February 2022

Questions (317)

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

317. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the public service uses that are currently being considered for the site in Sligo town that is identified as being examined for future use; and if the site will not be sold off as was mooed by the OPW at its appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on Public Accounts on 11 November 2020. [8217/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The OPW’s approach to managing vacant properties and sites is to establish if the property is required for State use, including the potential for it to be re-purposed for either Government Departments or the wider public service. A number of strategic properties or sites are retained in anticipation of potential State use/development in line with service demands arising from Government policy changes to public service provision. As a matter of policy, no property or site is disposed of until there is absolute certainty that there is no alternative State use for that property or site.

I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the site in question was acquired in part to secure long-term car parking for the Government Offices at Caltragh, because the lease on the car park was due to expire in 2024 with no guarantee that the Office of Public Works (OPW) would be able to renew the lease. In purchasing the site and buying out the lease, the OPW will have paid for the site in lease savings in less than six years.

In addition, the remainder of the site was identified as a potential location for a new facility for An Garda Síochána (AGS). As this facility is no longer required by AGS, the OPW will firstly consider options for facilities that may be required by its clients at the location.

If no alternative facilities are considered feasible for its clients, the OPW will engage with other State Bodies including the Department of Education, the Land Development Agency, Sligo County Council and the HSE. This will be for the purposes of determining potential alternative State uses for the site.