Written answers
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Department of Finance
Decentralisation Programme
5:00 pm
Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which the halting of decentralisation has left the Government in possession of sites, leases or underoccupied buildings; the costs of the acquisition, the leases and the constructions that are not fully occupied; and if there is a strategy in place for managing this portfolio to minimise the cost to the taxpayer. [24781/10]
Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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As announced by the Minister in this 2009 Budget Statement of 14 October 2008, the Government decided to review aspects of the decentralisation programme in 2011. The Commissioners of Public Works had purchased sites at 11 locations that are the subject of 2011 review. The outcome of this review will inform how the development of these sites will be progressed.
Details of the 11 locations are as follows:
| Location | Price (€) | Site Area (Acres) |
| Carlow | 1,440,000 | 1.1 |
| Cavan | 2,900,000 | 10.8 |
| Claremorris | 2,500,000 | 2.7 |
| Drogheda | 12,400,000 | 2.1 |
| Dungarvan | 2,100,000 | 3 |
| Edenderry | 1,500,000 | 2.1 |
| Knock | 390,000 | 6 |
| Mullingar | 8,250,000 | 5.3 |
| Thurles | 967,500 | 6 |
| Thomastown | 1,800,000 | 3.1 |
| Waterford | 8,000,000 | 3 |
| Total Cost | 42,247,500 |
There are no construction costs associated with these sites and no contractual commitments to purchase any other site.
No long term Leases, (without break options), have been taken in locations where decentralisation is under review.
Short term Leases are in place in 5 of the above locations, Carlow*, Cavan, Claremorris, Thurles and Tubbercurry (for Charlestown original location was Knock Airport). All of the short term leased premises are occupied by advance parties from the relevant Departments.
(*The Lease in Carlow is for a 20 year term with a break option in year 5.)
Expenditure and occupancy details of the short term premises in these locations are set out in the table below:
| Location | Annual Rent | Fit-out Cost | Occupier | Occupancy |
| Carlow | €369,436.00 | €2,068,000.00 | Enterprise Trade & Employment | 90 |
| Cavan | €125,798.00 | €196,000.00 | Communications Energy & Natural Resources | 65 |
| Claremorris | €68,712.00 | €725,106.00 | Office of Public Works | 30 |
| Thurles | €114,801.40 | €262,271.00 | Garda Vetting | 73 |
| Thurles | €186,186.00 | €1,267,000.00 | Garda Fines | 65 |
| Tubbercurry | €174,893.00 | €402,318.00 | Community Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs | 100 |
| Thomastown | n/a | n/a | H.S.A hold their own Lease in Kilkenny | 33 |
Advance offices, occupied by the relevant Departments, have been leased in Athy, Clifden, Dundalk, Portarlington, Roscrea and Shannon. These locations are pending the review of the programme in 2011 but no sites have been acquired by OPW at these locations.
Expenditure and occupancy details of the advance offices are set out in the table below:
| Location | Annual Rent | Fit-out Cost | Occupier | Occupancy |
| Athy | €231,554.00 | €493,000.00 | Revenue | 73 |
| Clifden | Lease not held by OPW | n/a | Pobail | 25 |
| Dundalk | €96,000.00 | €190,000.00 | SEI | 11 |
| Portarlington | €73,500.00 | 0 | Data Protection Commissioner | 23 |
| Portarlington (offices in Portlaoise refer) | €69,661.00 | €357,952.00 | NCCA Equality Tribunal | 128 |
| Roscrea | €108,000.00 | 0 | Equality Authority | 16 |
| Shannon | Lease not held by OPW | n/a | Enterprise Ireland | 66 |
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