Ms Clare McGrath:

I might refer to my colleague on this issue. I think it was in the course of 2012 when the decision was made by Government to actually change the methodology in relation to the social protection offices and what might be delivered from those services. We were asked to respond to a demand for 63 locations. In looking at that, I will come back to the property management reform agenda. We had regard to space currently occupied by the Department in those locations and whether they had capacity, and we had regard to whether there were other public bodies in those vicinities. Certain local authorities provided us with accommodation. If those two were not met, we had to go to the market, and in that regard, we would be looking mainly at leasehold. One of the issues on the Government's reform agenda is that the State wants to know what the State holds. We have developed a register of State property which is currently being populated by public bodies. As part of that, all public bodies can have regard to it when they need space, and they can see what other public bodies are in the area. Those other public bodies will be identified through the register.