Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Transport operates the driver and vehicle computer services from a State-owned building in Shannon town centre, that is, the Shannon vehicle registration unit, VRU. The building requires significant investment to address building fabric issues that have arisen over a number of years. This investment was under consideration when an opportunity to acquire a substantial property consisting of offices and warehousing in the Shannon area was identified. The property was acquired by the Office of Public Works and has the potential to meet the long-term requirements of the Department of Transport and other State bodies in the area. A master-planning exercise for the newly acquired building was under way when, in 2022, the building was allocated to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for possible conversion to residential use, subject to a cost-benefit analysis and stakeholder engagement, as part of the emergency response to the increased demand for accommodation for those seeking protection in Ireland.

As a result of the ongoing issues, it is the Office of Public Works's intention to decant existing staff currently operating from Shannon VRU to an alternative location and it is continuing to work closely with the Department of Transport to identify a suitable option. A potential solution has been identified in the Government offices in Ennis and the OPW is engaging with all stakeholders, the Department of Transport and existing occupants to ensure the requirements of all our clients are met in the most efficient manner. The Office of Public Works is also continuing to work with the Department of Transport to identify any further measures that can be put in place to mitigate the impact of the building fabric issues in the current building. Remedial work has been undertaken in recent weeks to assist the Department of Transport in managing the needs of the staff in the building at present. The long-term use of that building is under consideration.

The Shannon Airport Authority provides accommodation to a number of State bodies in the arrivals hall area of Shannon Airport to provide services that are essential to the successful operation of an international airport like Shannon. The OPW understands the Shannon Airport Authority is planning to undertake redevelopment works to much of the existing terminal, and the ongoing provision of accommodation for the State bodies will form an important part of any redevelopment. The OPW is engaging with all our clients, including An Garda Síochána and the Shannon Airport Authority, to ensure the longer term accommodation requirements will be adequately provided for in the proposed redevelopment of the arrivals hall.

See this speech in context