Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of problems with the State-owned building in Shannon, County Clare in which the Department of Transport has its offices (details supplied); if he will urgently acquire more suitable replacement accommodation in Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10731/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Transport (DoT) is located in a State owned building in Shannon County Clare.  The building requires significant investment to address building fabric issues that have arisen over a number of years.  This investment was under consideration when an opportunity to acquire a substantial property consisting of offices / warehousing in the Shannon area was identified.  The property was acquired by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and has the potential to meet the long term requirements of the DoT and other State bodies in the area.

In 2022 the building was allocated to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of the emergency response to the increased demand for accommodation for those seeking international protection in Ireland.   Notwithstanding this, work on a long term master plan for the building is continuing and it is envisaged that the long term requirements of the DoT will be met there.

In the meantime the OPW are working closely with the DoT to identify an alternative location for the unit based in Shannon and to identify any measures that can be put in place to mitigate the impact of the building fabric issues.