Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that some of my points have been made previously. The OPW is the exclusive procurer of office accommodation for the Civil Service and the sole authority in the allocation of space. This is laid out in a memo to the Government and was approved by the Cabinet in December 2012. Therefore, my Department would not make contact with landlords or potential property owners. For reasons that can be understood, this is the preserve of the OPW. While the Department sets out what is broadly required, the OPW is the exclusive procurer of property for the State.

Questions have been asked about efforts made by the OPW. I do not want to go into detail, but I am advised that generally it conducts a market search, checks to see what is available on the market and makes contact with local auctioneers to determine if there are available properties which might not be on offer in the open market.

Members have referred to the meeting held towards the end of last year with the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, and a delegation from Monaghan County Council which included the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, and Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin to discuss the options in retaining a presence in the town. At the meeting it was agreed that my Department would ask the OPW to hold off from signing a lease for a premises in Monaghan town so as to allow the representatives and officials to suggest potential alternatives in Ballybay. These were reviewed by the OPW, but, unfortunately, they were not deemed to be viable in the light of time and cost considerations.

I am sorry that the response is not more positive. As the Deputies know, the Department has a number of operations and sub-offices in County Monaghan. We also have quite a number of people employed, in the context of community employment services, including supervisors, in Tús, Gateway and other schemes. We are committed to providing people in County Monaghan with good services within the remit of the Department. Unemployment in the county has fallen significantly in the past year.

It has fallen by almost 19%. I regret that the reply is not more positive, but if there is more information the Deputies believe has not been properly evaluated, the evaluator will have to be the Office of Public Works, not the Department. I would, however, be happy to bring it to its attention.

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