Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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417. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when construction works will commence on Ireland House in Tokyo, Japan; the estimated time-frame for completion; and estimated cost of building. [26825/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The project to construct a new Ireland House in Tokyo is an important component of the Global Ireland initiative to  double Ireland’s global footprint and impact by 2025. The new building, housing both the Embassy and State Agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Bord Bia, will provide an excellent platform to strengthen bilateral relations with this key partner in Asia and promote trading and economic opportunities with the world’s third largest economy.

On 17th September the RIAI Design Competition to appoint an architect led design team for the new Ireland House Tokyo concluded.  My Department is now engaging with the competition winners, Henry J Lyons Architects, to progress the final design. All detailed design work is expected to conclude by the end of 2021. Construction in Japan is scheduled to commence in mid 2022 and to take two years.  It is envisaged that the new Ireland House Tokyo will be open for business in mid 2024.

The cost of the project is estimated to be €21.4 million. This figure covers construction, design fees and fit out including furniture, AV and ICT equipment. In comparison to continuing the current leasing arrangements or seeking a comparable premises to rent in the Tokyo commercial property market, the development of a new Ireland House in Tokyo is a cost effective option. In addition to savings on rental costs over time, the development of Ireland House will deliver a valuable real estate asset that will remain in State ownership.