Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 115: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will itemise the number of buildings that her Department leases; the annual rental and average price paid per square metre; if any review of the leases has been initiated to seek lower rents in the context of the current financial position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42698/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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With the exception of a building in Shannon occupied by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), none of the buildings and premises occupied by my Department and the 8 Offices of my Department are rented or leased by the Department. In general, all buildings and premises occupied by my Department and its Offices are provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) without any cost to the Department, in many of those cases the buildings/ premises are rented or leased by the OPW and the information requested by the Deputy could only be supplied by the OPW.

NERA's Shannon accommodation is held under a four-year licence agreement between the OPW and NERA on the one hand and Westpark Shannon Limited on the other. The licence fee amounts to €156.08 per square metre, subject to a maximum charge of €32,480 per annum (exclusive of VAT). The OPW will assume responsibility, with effect from 1 January 2010 for the payment of the licence fee costs. NERA has indicated that there are no plans for a review of this licence arrangement at this time. The licence agreement itself provides for a review every four years. The first review will take place in March 2013. NERA has also indicated that it is satisfied that it secured a very competitive rate when leasing its office accommodation in Shannon, in co-operation with the OPW, and that a review at this time is not justified.