Department of Finance unsure on cost of decentralisation

The Department of Finance says it does not yet know the full cost of decentralisation, but it should eventually save the taxpayer money.

According to the department it has spent almost €43m so far buying and leasing new premises at 25 locations, but this is expected to rise to between €75m and €100m with the acquisition of a further 14.

It is estimated that equipping those offices will add between €40m-€60m to the bill.

Meanwhile, the exchequer has taken in over €345m from the sale of surplus buildings in the Dublin area and the department says the programme will yield considerable savings to the State over time in terms of site costs, building and maintenance costs as these are all lower outside of Dublin.