Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

A review of the next phase of the decentralisation programme will possibly indicate the use or otherwise of some of those sites. The issue, in terms of the current phase, including acquisitions such as the Deputy has mentioned, is to the effect that total expenditure on the property aspect of the programme up to December 2009 was €338 million. Those costs were offset by savings achieved through the reallocation of property by the OPW to other schemes at the end of 2008 valued in the region of €550 million.

Those costs were offset by savings from a reallocation of property by the OPW to other schemes at the end of 2008, valued in the region of €550 million. Of that amount, more than €350 million relates to the disposal of high value sites at the height of the property boom. Property valued at that time at €75 million was transferred to the affordable homes partnership. Those are the facts in that regard. If there are details required in relation to individual matters a parliamentary question should be tabled to the Department of Finance.

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