Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the percentage of IDA properties that have been vacant for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27941/07]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a list of IDA properties; if they are vacant or in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27942/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together.

The Management of the IDA property portfolio is a day to day operational matter for the Agency and is not one in which I have a function. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that, at present, there are 67 IDA owned buildings of which 27 are unoccupied. In addition, the Agency leases 83 units from private investors and 35 of these units are also vacant. Details of the locations of these buildings are set out in the tabular statement below.

In the ten-year period from 1998 to 2007, the percentage of IDA properties (both owned and leased by the Agency) that were vacant varied from year to year, while the total number of such properties fell from 613 in 1998 to 150 in 2007. The actual number of properties vacant together with the percentage figure in respect of each of the years from 1998 to 2007 is shown in the tabular statement that follows.

A policy decision to move away from involvement in buildings was implemented by the Agency in the late 1990s. In divesting of buildings the Agency was conscious of the need to maximise the financial returns and to balance the disposal programme against the need to have buildings available in key locations for marketing to IDA and Enterprise Ireland clients.

An Expenditure Review of IDA Ireland's Property Programme which was led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and was concluded in 2004 recommended that the Agency should continue with its policy of disengagement from buildings, taking into account the need for value for money. Copies of the Expenditure Review, which have been placed in the Library of the Houses of the Oireachtas are available on the Department's website.