I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works (CPW) that the former Garda station at Broadford is the only unassigned, surplus property in Co. Clare in the ownership of the CPW. There are complex title issues associated with the property, which are currently being examined. Once these issues have been resolved, the property will be prepared for disposal on the open market in line with the OPW’s disposal policy below.
The OPW’s policy with regard to surplus, unassigned State property is to:
1. Identify if the property is required/suitable for alternative State use by either Government Departments or the wider public sector.
2. If there is no other State use identified for a property, the OPW will then consider disposing of the property on the open market if and when conditions prevail, in order to generate revenue for the Exchequer.
3. If no State requirement is identified or if a decision is taken not to dispose of a particular property, the OPW may consider community involvement (subject to a detailed written submission, which would indicate that the community/voluntary group has the means to insure, maintain and manage the property and that there are no ongoing costs for the Exchequer).
In line with above policy, the OPW has provided a list of its surplus properties, including former Garda stations, to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the relevant Local Authorities so that they could assess them for suitability for social or humanitarian housing purposes. The OPW continues to engage with other State bodies on a regular basis. In that regard, a building in Shannon that is owned by the Commissioners has been identified for alternative State use for humanitarian purposes and is therefore not surplus to State requirements.
The OPW is not in a position to provide data on vacant properties or sites that may be held by other State bodies which have been proposed for humanitarian use.
