Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 27 November 2025
Public Accounts Committee
Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts 2024
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2024
Chapter 5 - Development of a Proposed National Science Centre
Chapter 6 - The OPW's Management of Office Accommodation
2:00 am
Mr. John Conlon:
We work with the Department of public expenditure and reform on that. To make a point on lease breaks, I think it was pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General that there were 62 leases with break clauses that could have been activated during the period 2022 to 2024. None were activated but we have ongoing engagements with the clients for these accommodation requirements and, if there is not suitable alternative available accommodation within the portfolio, we continue with the lease. Sometimes, it is more advantageous to not have the lease break, because we can continue with the existing rents. We do it on a case-by-case basis. I fully admit that it is a failure that we do not record that properly but we do it on a day-by-day basis. We work with clients when we do come up to lease breaks.