Vol. 408 No. 8
18 Mr. T. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the reason the National Treasury Management Agency was directed by the Government to take up office space in an office block in Dublin (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Following examination of several possible locations, the agency's final choice lay between the building in question and another city centre location. As rents in the two locations are the same and as it is Government policy to develop the area in question from an urban renewal point of view, it was considered that the agency should take office space in the building referred to by the Deputy. In the view of the agency it is eminently suitable and provides the facilities for modern, up-to-date information technology as required by the agency.
Will the Minister agree that the building to which this agency is to go is not in the designated renewal area, and that the agency and the Office of Public Works had decided that they would go to a primary location and that it was not until they got a political direction from either the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs to relocate in the building in question that they changed their mind?
It is not in the designated area. It is close to the canal area which we want to see developed. I am not aware that the Office of Public Works and the agency had decided to go elsewhere. The choice lay between those two locations and it was more desirable to go down to the canal bank area.
Is the Minister not aware that it is standard practice that the Office of Public Works act as the agent for such Government agencies in evaluating alternative office accommodation and that their recommendation was for Earlsfort Centre, the city centre location in question? Can the Minister confirm or deny that at a precise political direction from himself, the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs, a second best choice was made in respect of the office building to which they are now going?
It is not a second best choice. It has been written up by all the property pages around town. According to The Irish Times the Boland's Building, which is the one being taken, has been widely acclaimed as Dublin's most impressive office block. The Irish Independent report described the Boland's building as having the highest specification finish evident in the market to date. I am not aware of what the Deputy says about the Office of Public Works having decided. All they do is——
I said, evaluate.
The Office of Public Works evaluated the two and it was a matter of choice as to which they would take. Both of them were suitable in the view of certain people. The Office of Public Works would recommend to the agency, and in the view of the agency's advisory committee where they are going is eminently suitable.
Is the Minister not aware that the office space requirement of the agency was approximately 17,000 square feet and that they have now contracted to rent 20,000 square feet, 3,000 square feet in excess of their recognised needs, with a consequent extra cost? Has there been an explicit political direction at the behest of himself, the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs to locate this agency in this building?
We are having repetition. It is a luxury we can ill afford at Question Time.
There was a recommendation, but not a direction. I will find out about the floor space but from the information available to me the price was the same in any event.
