Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

Estimates for Public Services 2015: Vote 13 - Office of Public Works

2:00 pm

Ms Clare McGrath:

With the setting of the space and cost-per-square-metre targets, the Deputies can move into that position. With occupiers, we will be accounting for those. The Deputies will need an international comparison of public property holders. What is happening in the UK, the Netherlands or Finland? We know that the OPW is achieving its targets, but could it be more efficient? What is the benchmark in other jurisdictions? We are interacting with them as we speak on that regard. We are all considering the issue in terms of cost per square metre, occupancy and energy. As there are different languages and ways of measuring, though, we need a common way. In future, Deputy Rabbitte might be able to tell what we have achieved from the performance indicators that are used by the OPW and occupiers, but when he asks us how good it all is, we will point to how they have been benchmarked against similar jurisdictions. He might then revert to me and say-----