Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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271. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of vacant properties that are owned by his Department; the estimated economic value of the vacant properties; and if he will provide a list of such properties. [52855/22]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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272. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of properties that are being leased by his Department that are currently vacant; and if he will provide a list of such properties. [52873/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 272 together.

I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works that the Office of Public Works manages a property portfolio in excess of 2,500 properties ranging from heritage buildings, commercial office blocks, green field sites, warehouses, Coast Guard Stations and Garda Stations. As would be the norm in such a large portfolio, at any given time, there will be a number of properties being refurbished or vacant. The State will always retain a number of vacant properties for future use.

At present, there are a total of 100 properties currently surplus and vacant. This includes 68 buildings and 32 sites:

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.

In a case where the OPW does not need to retain a property, and has deemed it surplus to requirements, the office follows a strict procedure. The OPW's Disposal Policy (consistent with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform circulars on disposals of properties) with regard to vacant State property, is to:

1. Identify if the property is required/suitable for alternative State use by either Government Departments, Local Authorities or the wider public sector.

2. If there is no other State use identified for a property, the OPW will then consider disposing of it on the open market if and when conditions prevail, in order to generate revenue for the Exchequer.

3. If no State requirement is identified or if a decision is taken not to dispose of a particular property, the OPW may consider community involvement (subject to detailed written submission, which would indicate that the community/voluntary group has the means to insure, maintain and manage the property and that there are no ongoing costs for the Exchequer).

When a property is deemed surplus to the requirements of the Commissioners, the OPW notifies all relevant stakeholders as part of the disposal policy. This includes notifying the Land Development Agency and the relevant local authorities who may be interested in acquiring the property for housing purposes. While the provision of social/affordable and emergency residential accommodation is a function of the Local Authorities and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the OPW has in recent years provided:

- eight residential units in Dublin City Centre that were transferred to Dublin City Council for use by the Peter McVerry Trust.

- A building in Crumlin, Dublin that is now licensed to Dublin City Council for use as a Family Hub.

- The former Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum which will be transferring to the Land Development Agency for housing purposes.

- A further seven buildings are being transferred to Cork County Council for social housing and a site in Cork is transferring to Cork County Council for the construction of 24 social housing units.

Buildings owned or managed by the OPW are primarily commercial offices, Garda stations, warehouses or others that are not suited to residential use. However, the OPW has actively engaged with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in providing information on any non-operational, vacant buildings owned. The Department then assesses those buildings in terms of what might be suitable for residential use.

In the case of the limited number of vacant Garda Stations, the OPW has notified all the relevant Local Authorities that these are vacant and available for transfer. The Commissioners have also similarly informed the Department of Housing of such availability on a number of occasions. To-date, the OPW has transferred five former station properties to Local Authorities with ten former Garda stations in the process of being transferred. In addition, the OPW is in the process of leasing three former Garda stations to Local Authorities for community use.

The OPW has also engaged with the Land Development Agency on any suitable land in our ownership, as well as the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to housing persons arriving in Ireland as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Where either the local authorities or other State bodies do not want the properties in question they are prepared for sale through public auction.

Valuations are available when the properties and sites are valued either by the appointed auctioneer, (if proceeding to auction), or by the Valuation Office, (if proceeding by intra State transfer).

A list of the current vacant properties (buildings and sites), with an indication of their status and future plans, is attached at Schedule A.

The Office of Public Works does not have any leased buildings that are fully vacant at this time.

The OPW is not in a position to provide data on any leased buildings that may be held by other State bodies where those bodies have entered into an agreement directly with a landlord.

List of Vacant Properties