Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of unoccupied State-owned properties; the cost associated with the maintenance and security of same; the number of properties rented by the State from private landlords; the cost of same by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50310/19]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The OPW actively manages a portfolio of some 2,500 properties throughout the country, that ranges from office accommodation to heritage properties, visitors centres to Garda stations, among others. At any given time, it is normal that a number of properties are vacant. In the case of the OPW portfolio, there are 98 properties currently vacant.

The majority of these are former Garda stations closed under the 2012/13 closure programme. As these stations were subject to examination under the recent policing review, the OPW was specifically requested not to dispose of them. Now that this review is completed, the future of the remaining stations will be determined.

The detailed breakdown including maintenance and security costs for the vacant properties by county is not readily available and is currently being collated. A detailed response will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

The Commissioners of Public Works hold 437 leases on 369 buildings amounting to €96,379,395 per annum. A table with the breakdown for each county follows below.