Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Buckley and his colleagues. I thank them for their opening remarks and all of their work on our important national monuments, public parks and indeed State buildings. I thank Mr. Buckley and his colleagues for a recent updatevis-à-vis a parliamentary question which I raised in July about Tully Church and the monuments surrounding it. I thank the witnesses for that briefing and for the commitment of those actively involved with the Tully site in the Cherrywood strategic development zone. The witnesses might pass on my appreciation to the officials concerned, particularly those on the ground.

I have some questions relating to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the witnesses' opening remarks. The OPW leases the office premises in Miesian Plaza on Baggot Street, mainly to accommodate the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. That contracted annual rent is approximately €10 million. Total commitment is €231.7 million over 25 years. It is reported that there has been an overpayment in the region of €10 million to the landlord. I know there has been ongoing correspondence between the OPW and the landlord. Will the witnesses provide this committee with an update on the lease and what engagement they have had with the landlord since their appearance at the Committee of Public Accounts in October 2018?