Written answers
Tuesday, 9 April 2024
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Departmental Properties
Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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938. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of properties either owned or leased by his Department, which are currently vacant; the length of time the properties have been vacant for; and the location of the properties, in tabular form. [13817/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department owns, operates, and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres under statute. These centres are Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre, Howth Fishery Harbour Centre, Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre, Ros an Mhíl Fishery Harbour Centre, Dingle Fishery Harbour Centre and Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre.
The Fishery Harbour Centres contain a diverse property portfolio reflecting their role as working fishery harbours and as the location for a broad range of other marine activities. The total number of properties (excluding infrastructure) across the six Fishery Harbour Centres is 263. There are 18 vacant properties across the six Fishery Harbour Centres. Vacant properties are regularly reviewed by my Department to assess their suitability for making them available for tender to interested applicants and to provide rental income for the Fishery Harbour Centres Fund.
Longtown Farm is owned by OPW and is managed by my Department, which is responsible for the properties on the farm. Plans are in place to renovate Longtown Farm Gate Lodge through OPW for use by my Department.
The property on Backweston Farm is currently vacant and a new farm manager is expected to be appointed shortly and will reside in the house. This is a condition of employment.
A full list of properties owned or leased by my Department which are currently vacant is set out in the attached table.
| Number of Properties | Location of Property | Details of vacant Property owned or leased by the Department | Length of time the property has been vacant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Howth, Co Dublin | Lease/Licence negotiations in progress | 1 year 6 months |
| 3 | Howth, Co Dublin | Remedial works required and planned on properties before tendering | 1 year 3 months 5 months 4 months |
| 1 | Dingle, Co Kerry | Tender documents being prepared | 4 months |
| 2 | Ros an Mhil, Connemara, Co Galway | Tender documents being prepared (previously tendered unsuccessfully in 2012) | 18 years 4 months 16 years 10 months |
| 1 | Ros an Mhil Connemara, Co Galway | This property is being prepared for sale in Q2 2024, sale proceedings having been delayed due to the Covid pandemic. | 15 years 4 months |
| 3 | Castletownbere, Co Cork | Tender documents being prepared | 5 months |
| 1 | Killybegs, Co Donegal | This property is being prepared for sale. (boundary rectification issue resolved 26th Oct 2023) | 16 years |
| 1 | Killybegs, Co Donegal | This property is being prepared for tender | 1 year 6 months |
| 2 | Dunmore East, Co Waterford | Properties currently unavailable for tender | 4 years 11 months 5 years |
| 1 | Backweston Farm, Celbridge, Co Kildare | House - The property has been vacant since the retirement of farm manager in May 2023. | Temporarily vacant since May 2023 |
| 1 | Longtown Farm, Clane, Co Kildare | Lodge - The lands and buildings at Longtown Farm were purchased by the OPW as a Veterinary Research Farm for my Department following the transfer of Abbotstown Farm to the National Sports Campus Authority pursuant to a Government decision. | Vacant since July 2015 |
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