Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Feb 1999

Vol. 501 No. 2

Written Answers. - Departmental Properties.

Paul Bradford

Ceist:

9 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Finance the progress, if any, made in the acquisition of office property being leased by the State as outlined by the Minister of State at his Department when he introduced a Supplementary Estimate for his Department in late 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5326/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Cullen)

The Dáil approved a Supplementary Estimate of £67 million for acquisition of property in Vote 10, Office of Public Works in December 1998. Expenditure of approximately £66 million was incurred on the following items: to buy out 22 decentralisation contracts at a cost of £55.5 million approximately – the following is the list of contracts bought out:

Athlone	Kilkenny – Phase 1	Portlaoise – Phase 1
Ballina	Kilkenny – Phase 2	Portlaoise – Phase 2
Cavan	Killarney	Sligo
Cork	Letterkenny	Tullamore
Ennis – Phase 1	Limerick	Waterford
Ennis – Phase 2	Longford	Wexford – Phase 1
Galway	Nenagh	Wexford – Phase 2
		Wexford –Johnstown Castle

to acquire an office building in Ardee Road, Dublin 6 occupied by the Central Statistics Office for £6 million and to purchase a site at Hammond Lane, Dublin 7 for £4.45 million which the commissioners intend to develop as the headquarters of the Land Registry.

The acquisition and buy-outs will result in an annual saving of approximately £6 million at current values on the State's rent bill.

The Commissioners of Public Works, as a matter of policy, seek to acquire property which they are leasing on a long-term basis whenever the opportunity to do so at reasonable value arises.