73. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of vacant OPW or HSE buildings assessed as potentially suitable for youth services; whether any have been offered to youth organisations; and if not, to outline the process by which youth organisations may access such buildings. [51915/26]

The Office of Public Works (OPW), like other State bodies, is obliged to follow central Government policies on the disposal of surplus properties and the arrangements involved are set out in the following Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Circulars:

• Circular 11/2015: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets

• Circular 17/2016: Policy for Property Acquisition and for Disposal of Surplus Property

The OPW’s Policy in managing vacant, surplus properties is firstly, to establish if the property is required for alternative State use, including the potential for it to be re-purposed for either Government Departments or the wider public service. A number of strategic properties are retained in anticipation of potential State use/development in line with service demands arising from Government policy changes to public service provision.

Secondly, if no State use is identified, the OPW considers if open market disposal is an option, depending on prevailing market conditions.

Thirdly, the OPW may consider community involvement, subject to a detailed submission that demonstrates that the community or voluntary group seeking to use the property has the means to insure, maintain and manage it in order to reduce costs to the Exchequer.

The policy of the OPW is that a property will only be disposed of when it has been established with absolute certainty that there is no alternative State requirement for it with the initial phase of the disposal process focusing on identifying an alternative State use for each vacant and surplus property.

Details of each surplus and vacant property are circulated by the OPW to other Central Government Departments, such as the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Land Development Agency as well as other State bodies such as the Health Service Executive and the relevant local authority.

Properties identified as being surplus to the OPW’s requirements are also made known to other public sector bodies using the State Property Register. In this way State bodies, including those involved in the provision of youth services, can readily identify properties that are surplus to requirements and engage directly with the OPW to establish if one of its surplus properties meets their needs.

The bodies and agencies governed by the Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets (DPER circular 11/2015) are classified as all ‘parties’ with a legal entitlement to acquire or otherwise hold State property, including but not limited to the following:

- Central Government;

- State bodies or agencies;

- The Health Service Executive;

- Local Government (namely, each Local Authority)

Although the Protocols do not expressly provide for the transfer as set out in your question, the OPW is agreeable to engaging with Local Authorities or other State agencies who may have an interest in acquiring a property in order to facilitate a youth organisation.

As the Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for the management of its property estate, queries regarding these properties should be directed to the HSE.