Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised)

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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We have an ongoing process of disposal or reuse of vacant properties for different State bodies and agencies, including local authorities and Departments. The current vacant building stock includes 31 former Garda stations, on most of which we are in discussion with local authorities or local groups or we have a plan to dispose of them by way of public auction, regrettably, where local authorities have not shown an interest. In the past fortnight, a local authority, coincidentally, my own, expressed an interest in two former Garda stations and they were removed from a list to be sold by public auction. There are other former Garda stations and residences. There are 12 of those. The number of former Coast Guard properties is ten. Some of these are not in great condition. There are two former customs properties. There is one former meteorological station. Then there are 12 other properties.

With regard to sites, we have: one former Coast Guard site; five former customs sites; one site for a Met station; three former decentralised sites; and 18 others. Over the past 12 months, we have reduced that considerably.

I can get the Deputy a year-on-year report as to the progress that we are making and the timeframes, particularly around the former Garda stations, for disposal.