€43m decentralisation sites left lying idle

The Office of Public Works has confirmed that 12 sites bought for over €43m for the Government’s scrapped decentralisation plan are lying idle.

Among them is a 2.1-acre site in Drogheda for which the State paid €12.4m. The others were bought with taxpayers’ money for prices ranging from €390,000 for a six-acre site in Knock, to €8.25m for a 5.3-acre site in Mullingar.

The OPW has only shed light on how one of the 12 locations can be utilised into the future.