€88m to rent office space.. as 100 State buildings lie empty
€600k-a-yr for properties upkeep
NEARLY €90million is being splurged by the Government renting office space despite the fact almost 100 State-owned buildings are lying empty, it emerged yesterday.
The huge annual spend was slammed by Fianna Fail’s Barry Cowen who said “money is being wasted”.
It costs around €600,000-a-year to maintain the 96 vacant buildings – which includes 50 Garda stations – new figures obtained in response to a Dail question show.
Deputy Cowen said: “It’s important the taxpayer gets full value for money for the rent paid to private property owners.
“We should not get sucked into paying massive sums of money on rent while we have buildings gathering moss.”
One of the empty properties, a former Garda station at Barrack Street, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, will be subject to the Vacant Sites Levy of €4,500.
That measure was introduced in 2015 by the Government to encourage the use of buildings which were not being used at the time.
Mr Cowen added: “A list of empty State properties should be furnished and where feasible, rented offices should be transferred to them.
“The State has a duty to keep costs down and maintain a suitable property portfolio.
“From January we will have a ridiculous situation whereby one State property will be subject to the Vacant Site
Levy.” In his response, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said: “I have been advised by my officials the Office of Public Works has been notified Kilkenny County Council has placed the former Garda station at Barrack Street, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, on their vacant sites register.
“A levy of €4,500 is payable in 2019 on this property.
“The building is currently under consideration for transfer to Kilkenny County Council.
“This is the only property currently notified to the Commissioners as liable f o r the Vacant Sites Levy.”
Deputy Cowen said 50 of the 96 State-owned empty properties are Garda stations “that were closed under the 2012/2013 Policing Plans of An Garda Siochana”.
He added: “Of the remaining 46 properties, 23 are in the process of being transferred to local authorities or other State bodies, seven are being prepared for disposal, one is under consideration for community use and 15 are being examined for alternative State use or are being retained for strategic purposes.
“The maintenance and security costs of these properties to date in 2018 is €581,045.
“There are currently 395 properties rented by the Commissioners of Public Works from private Landlords, of which two are currently unoccupied.”
properties in process of being transferred to local authorities
Number of the 96 vacant buildings which are Garda stations