Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - State Laboratory.

Liam Lawlor

Ceist:

183 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Finance the position on the review of the estimate of £157 million for the relocation of State laboratories from Abbotstown, Dublin 15, to a location outside Lucan, County Dublin, which involves the near doubling of the floor area originally envisaged; if this floor area could be reduced to save costs; if conference and library facilities for the State Laboratory will be located at Backweston; if the cost of these facilities will exceed the combined £3 million contract for their provision at Abbotstown and the £0.6 million compensation to the contract; and when the decision to relocate was made. [5428/01]

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

Examination of the £157 million estimated cost for the relocation of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development laboratories and the State Laboratory from Abbotstown to Backweston is at an advanced stage.

The floor area proposed for Backweston represents the minimum space required by the Department and the State Laboratory to enable them to discharge their statutory and other functions. The increase in floor areas over those pertaining in Abbotstown is necessary to provide modern state-of-the-art facilities which can achieve international acceptance and accreditation, meet the requirements of EU directives, adhere to fire safety codes, health and safety and building regulations etc., and provide specialist containment facilities not currently available to the Department or State Laboratory at Abbotstown.

The new development will incorporate a conference and library facility for use by both the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and State Laboratory at an estimated cost of £2.9 million. The projected cost of providing a similar facility at Abbotstown, prior to terminating the contract, was £3 million; expenditure up to termination, including the payment of compensation to the building contract, was £0.6 million.