OPW rejects Labour land purchase claims

THE Office of Public Works last night portrayed as a “distortion” a Labour Party claim that the cost of acquiring land for the decentralisation programme was double the cost of that paid for the new prison site in North Dublin.

While accepting that the average price paid by the OPW so far was €430,000 per acre - over twice the €200,000 per acre of the controversial Thornton Hall - a spokesman said that the Labour Party’s finance spokesperson Joan Burton was not comparing like with like.

The Thornton Hall land was agricultural, while a fair portion of the land acquired for new headquarters is based in cities and towns, the spokesperson said. Minister for State Tom Parlon, in a reply to a parliamentary question from Ms Burton, disclosed that the State had paid over €35 million to date acquiring land in 20 different locations outside Dublin.