Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am particularly familiar with the site Ms McGrath has identified in Drogheda for a new courthouse project which is intended to commence in 2015 under the stimulus package the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, announced last July. In late 2006 two sites were purchased in Drogheda at a cost of €11.81 million. The site in the area of Murdoch's car park and the Abbey Centre car park was purchased by the OPW from the local authority for a decentralisation project involving the Department of Social Protection and other State agencies. Of the €11.81 million, €7.75 involved a local authority initiative to acquire a hardware premises on Narrow West Street in Drogheda and a rear car park to develop a multi-storey car park. What is the relationship in an instance like that with the local authority? Who funds the purchase of these facilities for the decentralisation programme? We are talking about a payment of €7.75 million at public auction for the site which, in my estimation, was overvalued.