Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

It seems remarkable that we have just spent €6 million doing up two buildings, Technology House and the Materials Building, which are specific to the purpose of Enterprise Ireland but will spend a further €6 million in the next two years, given that the lease costs nearly €3 million per annum, on a building which is officially part of the decentralisation programme but which is located in the centre of Dublin, a location to which I never realised we were decentralising people. This operation was based in the centre of Dublin and one could argue it was situated in a location in which people will have bought houses in order to get easy access to their workplace. However, the Minister has now moved everything to a new location.

Can the Minister give me details regarding the length of the lease arrangement and its terms in respect of upgrade of rent on the new premises, given that it is currently €2.9 million per annum? How many years have we committed ourselves to? What is the expected value the Government will get from the sale of the building? Would it not have been possible to use the existing building given that other agencies such as Sustainable Energy Ireland are vacating that premises as part of the real decentralisation programme? I understand that Sustainable Energy Ireland is due to decentralise to County Louth. Who was behind the decision in respect of Enterprise Ireland? Was it the Minister or Enterprise Ireland itself? When was the decision made?

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