Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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679. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he agrees with the Commissioner of Public Works at OPW insistence on a local development group in County Leitrim (details supplied) that prior to entering the leased property, Community Group members will need to be covered for public liability insurance of €6.5 million employer’s liability insurance cover in the sum of €13 million; and his views on whether this level of cover is excessive and prohibitive and hampers this groups intentions to breath new life into the community with this new community development. [20752/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The former Garda station and residential property at Glenfarne, Co. Leitrim is in the ownership of the Commissioners of Public Works (OPW).

Leitrim County Council has expressed an interest in leasing the property from the OPW to make it available for community use. However, before commencing negotiations on a lease the Council requested to view the property, along with representatives of the community group, in order to assess the scale of the works required to make the property suitable for community use and to determine whether or not it was economically viable.

The OPW agreed to facilitate the visit on 25 February 2025 and advised the Council that the community group would require the necessary insurances to access the property or that the group could be covered under the Council’s insurance policy. The Council advised that the community group was a separate legal entity and would be required to hold its own insurances. The planned property visit was cancelled as the community group did not have the required insurance. The OPW has received no further communication on the matter.

The OPW, as a Delegated State Authority, is covered by the General Indemnity Scheme managed by the State Claims Agency. Under the General Indemnity Scheme the OPW is obliged to ensure that all visitors to its vacant properties have relevant insurance cover.

The level of cover is set by the State Claims Agency.