Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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275. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of vacant properties owned by his Department; and the number of which are houses or residential properties. [43149/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility on behalf of the State for managing and maintaining a substantial and complex estate of approximately 2,500 properties.

This extensive and diverse portfolio of State properties includes office accommodation for all Government Departments, the property estate for An Garda Síochána, laboratories, warehouses as well as cultural institutions, heritage properties, visitor centres and sites.

In any major portfolio, there will always be a certain level of surplus vacant or non-operational properties. It is normal to have an amount of space vacant, or vacant properties, at any given time as the portfolio could not function without the flexibility that it provides. Not all vacant properties will be deemed surplus to the State’s requirements or suitable for disposal.

There are currently 46 vacant properties that are managed by the OPW. Thirteen of these buildings are currently under consideration or in the process of being transferred to local authorities or to other state bodies.

While the majority of buildings managed by the OPW are not suited to residential use, the OPW actively engages with other State agencies and provides details of any of its surplus vacant buildings or sites to the Land Development Agency, each relevant local authority, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, so that these buildings and sites can be assessed for suitability for housing or humanitarian purposes or for other state use.

However, many of the vacant surplus properties in the OPW portfolio were deemed unsuitable for residential use following assessment by the various agencies because they are older stock that would require significant investment to comply with current regulations for residential use, or are located in rural areas without the necessary services and supports.

Notwithstanding this, the OPW has in the past five years transferred over 50 properties to local authorities for housing and alternative State use. This includes the following:

• Eight residential units in Dublin City Centre that were leased to the Peter McVerry Trust.
• A building in Crumlin, Dublin licensed to Dublin City Council for use as a Family Hub.
• Seven former Garda residences in Templemore transferred to Tipperary County Council for social housing.
• Two former Garda station properties at Goleen and Adrigole transferred to Cork County Council for social housing.
• Three former Garda station properties at Galbally, Shanagolden and Mayorstone transferred to Limerick City and County Council for social housing.
• The former Garda station property at Malin transferred to Donegal County Council for social housing.
• The former Garda station at Inagh transferred to Clare County Council for the use of Inagh Housing Association.

• The former Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum to be transferred to the Land Development Agency for housing.
• Seven former coastguard cottages and a site at Crosshaven in the process of being transferred to Cork County Council for the refurbishment of the seven cottages and the construction of 24 new residential social houses.
• The former Garda station property and site at Buncrana in the process of being transferred to Donegal County Council for social housing.
• A site at the rear of Ballinasloe Garda station in the process of being transferred to Galway County Council for social housing.
• A property at Carrigrohane, Cork City in the process of being leased to Cork City Council for housing purposes.