State cuts annual rental bill by €30m

Property rental costs for State agencies have been cut by tens of millions of euro, ministers claim.

Brian Hayes, the Office of Public Works minister, said the Government rental bill for next year will be just below €100m — down from €131m in 2009.

Mr Hayes said that 150 leases, covering 500,000 sq ft, had been given up in 2012 and the OPW was not paying for any unoccupied premises.