OPW has spent €2.5m maintaining vacant properties in past five years
Darragh Mc Donagh
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has spent €2.5 million maintaining vacant properties over the past five-and-a-half years, new figures have revealed.
The agency owns a total of 73 vacant properties, including 19 former Garda stations that have remained empty for more than a decade, and two decentralisation sites that have been vacant since 2007.
A total of €2.5 million has been spent maintaining these sites and buildings since the beginning of 2020.
The most expensive vacant property to maintain was the former debtors’ prison on Halston Street in Dublin, which has cost the OPW just over €1.1 million during that period.
The agency had to seek a High Court order to evict squatters who had occupied the disused building in 2016 with the stated aim of converting it into a community art space. The OPW said the 18th century building was unsafe.
Another €314,810 was spent on a vacant site on Hawkins Street in Dublin between 2020 and 2022. No further maintenance costs have been incurred in respect of this property since then.
The former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum has cost the OPW €259,399 to maintain since it was vacated following the transfer of the National Forensic Mental Health Services to Portrane at the end of 2022.
Almost €100,000 has been spent maintaining a former Garda station in Kilfinane, Co Limerick since 2020. The five-bedroom property was formerly a fever hospital and was closed as a Garda station in 2013.
The 73 vacant properties include 18 former Coast Guard premises, seven former Customs properties, two former Met station sites and buildings, and two former Garda residences.
It also includes two sites in Portlaoise and Waterford that were acquired as part of the ill-fated decentralisation plan in 2003, which envisaged the relocation of 10,000 jobs to 53 locations across 25 counties.
Details of the expenditure on the maintenance of vacant OPW properties were provided to Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly by Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran in response to a parliamentary question.
Mr Moran said there was a “general approach” by the agency to endeavour to maintain properties in their current condition pending decisions on their future use.
“The OPW, like other property holding State bodies, has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and with the relevant local authorities to identify vacant properties that may be suitable for housing,” he said.
“It should be noted, however, that many of the properties managed by the OPW are commercial buildings, such as Garda stations, warehouses or office buildings that in most cases are not suitable for residential use.”
The minister added that more than 50 properties had been transferred by the OPW to local authorities for housing and alternative use over the past five years.
