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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Properties.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

248 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Finance the number of properties purchased by the Office of Public Works to accommodate asylum seekers but still not in use; the cost of each property; the year it was purchased; the cost of insurance, maintenance and security for each of the vacant properties; if the Office of Public Works has information on the state of repair of each property and the current value of each, in view of the changed circumstances of the property market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11704/03]

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 257 (Ref. 1214/03) of 29 January 2003. Two properties and the site at Leggetsrath, Kilkenny, are currently the subject of judicial review proceedings and consequently cannot be used. The Devereux Hotel is currently under negotiation for disposal and a deal is expected to be finalised by the end of June this year.

The total security costs paid to date on these premises are as follows: Broc House, €298,798.34; Lynch's Lodge, €256,813.98; and Devereux Hotel, €269,037.34. As the State carries its own insurance risk there have been no insurance costs on any of the properties.

The estimated maintenance expenditure to date on Lynch's Lodge Hotel is €30,000 and it is currently ready for occupation. The estimated maintenance expenditure to date on Broc House is €35,000 of which €27,700 was for consultants' fees for the provision of design and quantity surveying services for the refurbishment and mechanical and electrical work required prior to occupation of the property. This work was not carried out as a result of the judicial review proceedings. An up-to-date valuation of the premises has not been undertaken given the Department's stated intention to use them for the purposes for which they were acquired subject to the outcome of the judicial review proceedings. There have been no maintenance, insurance or security costs incurred on the site at Leggetsrath, Kilkenny.
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