Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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311. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the dates that the buildings and sites mentioned came into the possession of the OPW; the size of each site; and the estimated value of each in tabular form. [8125/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the information requested will involve the retrieval of Title Deeds and files, particularly relating to certain older properties, with the subsequent collation of the information. The Office of Public Works will revert directly to the Deputy as soon as the relevant data has been compiled.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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312. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the date that the sites in County Galway are to be transferred in tabular form. [8126/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As set out in my reply of the 8^thof February 2022, the Commissioners of Public Works have advised that there are currently five surplus sites in County Galway, which were assessed in line with central Government policies on the disposal of surplus properties.

The expected date of transfer for each of the sites is set out below.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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313. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the way the value and price is reflected in the moving of these assets between the accounts of two public bodies for those properties identified for intra state transfer; if money changes hands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8213/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The OPW disposes of surplus property assets in line with DPER Circular 11/2015: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets and Circular 17/2016: Policy for Acquisitions and for Disposals of Surplus Property.

Once a decision is made to sell a property to another State body, an independent, non-negotiable property valuation is carried out by the Valuation Office. The valuation represents the assessment of the market value of the property.

When the legalities of the sale is complete, the property disposal is recorded on the OPW’s Appropriation Account and as an acquisition on the recipient State body’s account, at the agreed valuation. The full amount of the agreed disposal value is transferred to the OPW by the State body on signing and sealing of the relevant legal documents.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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314. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the costs that have been incurred from dereliction, defects or otherwise and the amount spent on maintenance and remediation for those Garda stations that have been idle in 2012 and 2013, in tabular form. [8214/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I wish to place a holding reply on this PQ, pending clarification of details.

A direct response will issue to Deputy Farrell.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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315. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, if 50% of the proceeds must be returned to his Department as part of general taxation for those properties identified as for disposal in cases in which the proceeds from these sales are not recommitted within the same accounting year into another OPW development project; and his views on whether such a clawback rule is fit for purpose. [8215/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The retention of the proceeds of disposals is dependent on funding required by the OPW to fund the purchase of other property assets. The OPW seek specific delegated sanction on an annual basis from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, based on annual funding requirements and investment proposals. Any amounts receipted over and above the delegated sanction are returned to the Exchequer through Appropriation in Aid.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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316. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the total purchase price that the OPW paid including fees for each of the Drogheda west property and decentralisation sites; and the prices that the council is to pay acquiring them. [8216/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works (CPW) that the total purchase price of the four sites in Drogheda, Co. Louth was €9,700,000. The sites were purchased from Drogheda Borough Council for the Decentralisation Programme that was suspended by Government in 2011.

The location, current and future proposed use of the four sites is as follows:

The purchase price of Westgate House was €2,325,000.

Negotiations are ongoing between the Office of Public Works and Louth County Council for the acquisition of Westgate House and the site at the Mell. Once negotiations are concluded, the transfer cost for each will be publicly available.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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317. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 8 February 2022, the public service uses that are currently being considered for the site in Sligo town that is identified as being examined for future use; and if the site will not be sold off as was mooed by the OPW at its appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on Public Accounts on 11 November 2020. [8217/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The OPW’s approach to managing vacant properties and sites is to establish if the property is required for State use, including the potential for it to be re-purposed for either Government Departments or the wider public service. A number of strategic properties or sites are retained in anticipation of potential State use/development in line with service demands arising from Government policy changes to public service provision. As a matter of policy, no property or site is disposed of until there is absolute certainty that there is no alternative State use for that property or site.

I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the site in question was acquired in part to secure long-term car parking for the Government Offices at Caltragh, because the lease on the car park was due to expire in 2024 with no guarantee that the Office of Public Works (OPW) would be able to renew the lease. In purchasing the site and buying out the lease, the OPW will have paid for the site in lease savings in less than six years.

In addition, the remainder of the site was identified as a potential location for a new facility for An Garda Síochána (AGS). As this facility is no longer required by AGS, the OPW will firstly consider options for facilities that may be required by its clients at the location.

If no alternative facilities are considered feasible for its clients, the OPW will engage with other State Bodies including the Department of Education, the Land Development Agency, Sligo County Council and the HSE. This will be for the purposes of determining potential alternative State uses for the site.