Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with regard to agencies (details supplied) and their sub-agencies, the levels of office rental paid; the location of offices and their landlords for the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the length of the leases in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18931/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A number of the Agencies listed by the Deputy do not fall under my Department's remit. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Food Safety Promotion Board and the Food Safety Consultative Council all fall under the remit of the Department of Health, while the Marine Casualty Investigation Board is the responsibility of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

As to the rest, the Animal Remedies Consultative Committee is provided for under the Animal Remedies Act 1993 to advise and assist the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine in the making of regulations under the Act. In view of the nature of its remit, the Committee meets infrequently at an office of this Department.

The Consumer Liaison Panel is not an agency of my Department but was a consultative committee which met occasionally in the Department.

The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council is not an agency either and meetings have been held either within my Department or in suitable hotels around the country to reduce the level of travel for members of the Council.

The Irish National Stud, Tully, County Kildare was transferred to the State on 1 January, 1944. The National Stud Act, 1945 vested the lands in the Minister for Agriculture and provided for the setting up of a limited company to carry on the business of Stud farming at Tully and on any other land held by the company.

The National Stud (Amendment) Act, 2000 (Vesting) Order 2004 vested the lands which had until then been vested in the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the Irish National Stud Company Ltd with effect from 1 October 2004.

RELAY is not an agency but is a food research dissemination project funded under the FIRM programme working out of the Teagasc Office in Moorepark.

The Aquaculture Licenses Appeals Board was based on 3rd floor of Holbrook House, Holles St., Dublin 2, which is owned by the OPW from 2008 to 2010. However, they did not pay rent on the accommodation for that period and no lease was involved. They are now based in the Department's Portlaoise Office.

COFORD was subsumed into my Department in August 2009. Prior to that it had offices in Arena House, Sandyford, Dublin 18. The rental arrangement was by way of six month Licence (not a Lease), with Premier Business Centres as the landlord until September 2009 when Emile Investment Holdings took over. The details of Rental payments for the relevant years are hereunder

Rental Payments

€

2008 124,661.19

2009 88,166.02

2010 10,483.04

National Milk Agency is a Self financing Agency. It is located at IPC House, 35 - 39 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The landlords are Brendan Merry & Partners, IPC House, 35-39 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The rent paid over the period 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 was €45,853 annually. The three year lease is up at end of December 2011 and in 2012 the NMA intend to relocate to a cheaper premises.

The Veterinary Council of Ireland is located at 53 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. It is a self-financing body and is the owner of the property.