Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government in relation to the ground rents that are paid by him, if he will provide a breakdown of the total cost of this annually and a breakdown of the amount the ground rents are for each property. [15630/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The management of the property my Department occupies is primarily a matter for the Office of Public Works. My Department does not pay ground rent on any property.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Based on that reply, is the Office of Public Works paying ground rents?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will have to ask the OPW.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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All right. That is a separate question. In addition, does the Government have any plans that the Minister is aware of to make alterations to the legislation dealing with ground rents? There is no sign of it in the programme for Government.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In a reply to a question from Deputy Adams on 11 May, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, listed 50 properties on which the OPW pays ground rent, at a total cost of €5,128.94 annually. The Minister of State also indicated that no legislation was promised, but we referred to existing legislation and we have undertaken to examine the possibilities of what the Deputy is advocating.