Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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384. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a schedule of OPW lands, to include size, buildings and or storage facilities in Kildare that are not in use and or vacant. [16759/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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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 and numerous properties for many State Agencies. The portfolio also encompasses specialised spaces such as public offices, laboratories and cultural institutions, in addition to warehouses, 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.

There are a limited number of properties not in use that are intrinsic to the estates of parks and gardens as part of the national historic properties managed by the OPW in Co. Kildare. Donaghcumper House and ancillary outbuildings, recently acquired by the OPW, will be subject to a master planning exercise and long term refurbishment / restoration.

There are two gate lodges at Barretstown Castle that are integral to the historic domain of the Castle and the future use of these is under consideration by the OPW.

In addition, the future use of a Gate Lodge at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine veterinary research farm at Longtown, Clane is under consideration by the OPW and the Department.

The OPW is not in a position to provide information regarding properties that are owned or managed directly by other Government Departments, their agencies or other public bodies.