David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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384. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the standard approvals required for the intrastate transfer of State property assets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24510/17]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Arising from actions under the Property Asset Management Delivery Plan, which was part of the Public Service Reform initiative, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued two circulars:

(i) Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assetsissued in September 2015 (as DPER Circular 11/15) and

(ii) Policy for Property Acquisition and for the Disposal of Surplus Propertyissued in June 2016 (as DPER Circular 17/2016).

The Hierarchy of Disposals section of the Policy for Property Acquisition and for the Disposal of Surplus Property identifies transfer or share with another public body as the primary option to pursue when disposing of a property that is regarded as surplus.

Property transactions are governed by a range of legislative and other requirements which can vary for different state bodies. Required approvals will also depend on the value of the property being disposed of or acquired. The Corporate Governance Section of the Policy for Property Acquisition and for the Disposal of Surplus Property reflects the variety of governance requirements that can apply but prominence is given to compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements and the Code of Practice on the Governance of State Bodies. The Code of Practice on the Governance of State Bodies has a specific section on Property Acquisition and Disposal which cross-references the Policy and Protocols referred to above. Each state body is aware of how the requirements apply to them. The requirements will vary to some degree depending on the type of organisation and the legislation underpinning it.