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

I do not disagree with much of what Deputy Crowe said, but finding an available building in an area which, as the Deputy knows as well as I do, has literally gone through an explosion in the number of people who work there, thankfully, is not easy. That being said, we have carried out works in the Department of Transport building to make sure the fabric of the building is protected and the working conditions are being allowed to be properly maintained.

With respect to the Shannon 153 building, as the Deputy and I and other Members of the House know, every Department, including our own, was asked to examine its portfolio buildings to make sure any building that was surplus to requirements at a particular time or that could be made available at a particular time was considered for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In that case, the Department of Transport building was proffered as one of those, specifically the Shannon 153 building. It does create an issue with regard to the Department of Transport but the Office of Public Works, working with the Department, is committed to trying to resolve it.

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