€19M: Govt’s annual rent for city centre buildings – Donohoe

19th October, 2009

The Government is spending nearly €19 million on rent for Dublin city centre properties at the same time that it’s proposing swingeing cutbacks in frontline services, Fine Gael Dublin Central Senator Paschal Donohoe has revealed.

 

Senator Donohoe said he was stunned to learn that the Government is renting so many properties in the northside city centre, and called for a full value-for-money study on the situation.

 

“Fianna Fáil has a track-record of wasting vast amounts of taxpayers’ money. This cannot be tolerated during these straitened times. Every cent wasted is a cent less for schools and hospitals.

 

“So I was stunned to learn that the State is spending nearly €19 million per annum on renting building and office space in the city centre. These buildings are used for a variety of purposes, from office space to storage space, and it’s by no means clear that all these premises are necessary.

 

“The Office of Public Works must immediately clarify:

What steps the Government is taking to obtain cost reductions in the rent of every property, or to share buildings among different State agencies;

What steps are being taken to initiate downward rent reviews;

And whether all of these premises are necessary at all.

 

“Given that property prices have tumbled, the Government could actually save taxpayers money by purchasing city properties outright, rather than paying out massive amounts of annual rent.”