Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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686. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of land purchased and leased by size and amount expended in the past five years to date; the location of same; the term of the lease and amount expended per year in cases in which land is leased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25381/19]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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687. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of buildings and property purchased and leased and the amount expended in the past five years to date; the location of same; the term of the lease and the amount expended per year in cases in which properties are leased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25398/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 together.

In general, matters relating to the acquisition and leasing of property for my Department are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works. However, I am advised that my Department has also leased a small number of properties over the period in question, the details of which are shown in the relevant tables below.

My Department owns significant lands across the country, including national parks , national monuments sites, nature reserves and other property acquired for purposes of heritage protection and conservation.

Details of Properties purchased by the National Monuments Service Unit of the Department in connection with the protection ,conservation and presentation of national monuments are set out in the following table.

Details of purchases of land by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department in connection with the management of National Parks and Reserves are set out in the following table.

Details of smaller purchases of land by the Peatlands Management Unit, Site Protection Unit and Bog Relocation Unit of the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme, over the period in question are set out in the following table.

My Department has also entered into lease arrangements with Bord na Móna for relocation sites for turf cutters from designated bogs under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme. The term of these leases is 65 years and the full cost of the lease will be paid over the first 7 years of the 65 year period. From 2014 to date the Department has spent €510,469 on these leases. The 2019 payment will be made later in the year. The cost of each lease is based upon the projected amount of hoppers of turf that will be extracted from each relocation site.

Properties Leased by the Department

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

For completeness, I wish to advise that my Department also uses part of a storage facility in Swords, Co. Dublin, leased by the OPW on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. The annual cost to my Department is €140,000.