915. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60771/26]

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 vacant or non-operational 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.

The 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.

As a matter of policy, no property is disposed of until there is absolute certainty that there is no alternative State use for that property.

The OPW’s Policy in managing surplus vacant 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.

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

Before properties are placed on the open market the OPW advises other state bodies of its owned surplus vacant properties, so that they can assess them for suitability for social or humanitarian housing purposes or for other State use. This includes the Land Development Agency, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the relevant Local Authority.

In line with the above policy and in accordance with DPER Circulars 11/2015 and 17/2016, the OPW sought alternative State use by offering the former Garda station and residence, Bawnboy to all relevant bodies including Cavan County Council.

Cavan County Council noted their interest in acquiring the property in December 2025 and the transfer of the property to the ownership of Cavan County Council is currently in progress.