Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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228. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to develop a strategy for the repurposing of vacant OPW buildings and unused OPW sites for public housing or community use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56429/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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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. 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. 

The OPW, like other State bodies, is obliged to follow central Government policies on the disposal of surplus properties. The arrangements involved are set out in the following Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Circulars: 

1. Circular 11/2015: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets

2. Circular 17/2016: Policy for Property Acquisition and for Disposal of Surplus 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 aforementioned 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).

Housing and Community Use

In terms of alternative uses such as housing, the OPW notifies all relevant stakeholders of any vacant, surplus properties that may be considered for housing or other State use.  This includes notifying the Land Development Agency and the relevant local authorities or other State bodies. 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.

- Five former Garda residences in Templemore have transferred to Tipperary County Council for social housing.

- Two former Garda station properties at Goleen and Adrigole have transferred to Cork County Council for social housing.

In addition, there are a number of properties that are in the process of being transferred to local authorities for housing or community use, as follows:

- 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.

- Two former Garda residences will be transferred to Tipperary County Council for social housing shortly.

- A property at Carrigrohane, Cork City is in the process of being leased to Cork City Council for housing purposes.

- The former Garda station at Inagh is to be used as local housing office by Inagh Housing Association following transfer to Clare County Council.

- Two former Garda station properties at Tarmonbarry and Ballintobber will be transferring to Roscommon County Council for use under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

- The former Garda station Ashford, Co. Wicklow will shortly transfer to Wicklow County Council for use under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

- Two former Garda station properties at Dromahair and Keshcarrigan are in the process of being leased to Leitrim County Council for community purposes.

It should be noted that 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. 

Accommodation for Ukrainian refugees

In relation to the OPW’s contribution to the Government emergency humanitarian response, the OPW has provided a list of current vacant properties to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.At present, a large property in Shannon is currently being adapted for emergency accommodation. 

This is separate to the rollout of the programme of rapid build modular homes that the OPW has been asked by Government to develop, on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth who are the lead Government Department for the emergency humanitarian response.  The OPW is the Sponsoring Agency for the purposes of rolling out the programme, with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage  identifying sites that might be suitable.  Those sites are then assessed by the Department of Children in terms of location, access to local facilities, with the OPW undertaking the necessary technical site assessments.  When sites are identified as suitable, the OPW will be responsible for site preparation and the acquisition and installation of the home onto the sites.  Thereafter, the Department of Children will take over the management of the sites and the housing units. 

In that regard, the OPW is contributing three of its sites for development – at Cavan, Thurles and Claremorris.  These sites are included in an initial phase of site development on State owned lands around the country to achieve a target of an initial 500 housing units by February 2023.  The other sites in the first phase are in Cork and Sligo, with a number of other sites currently being assessed for further phases over the coming months, in order to reach the target number of homes.  

In addition to the OPW’s contribution to the Government emergency humanitarian response, a large OPW property in Shannon is currently being adapted for emergency accommodation. 

The OPW regularly engages with local authorities and Government Departments/Agencies with information on its vacant property stock in advance of open market disposals.