Government to sell house to help fund Irish Coast Guard

The house, worth €174,500, will be sold as part of efforts to fund the Irish Coast Guard. File picture: John Hennessy

The Government is to sell a house worth €174,500 as part of efforts to fund the Irish Coast Guard, after the property was bequeathed to the State.

Eileen Theresa Plunkett passed away in 2020 and gifted her property in Painestown, Co Meath to the coast guard in her will.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan sought cabinet approval to accept the gift, and to sell the property to fund the work of the coast guard.

The property was valued at €150,000 in 2020, with a further residual value within Ms Plunkett’s estate worth €24,500.

The OPW had indicated that it would be unlikely to find a use for the property within the rest of the State-owned accommodation portfolio.

Other measures agreed at cabinet on Wednesday include approval for a new digital Life Event hub to deal with disjointed Government services around key life events, like birth of a child, marriage or death of a family member.

The new portal will allow for a single website, with more streamlined access to services, rather than using multiple websites and other platforms.

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Approval was also given to further develop a 'digital wallet’, which would allow individuals store key documentation, like driving licences or birth certificates, on a mobile phone.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe estimates that this work will be completed before the end of the year, and said he believes the public have an “appetite” to use services like these.

The Government will use the data of citizens “responsibly and safely”, in such a way that respects their rights, he said.

“We believe overall, this is the kind of an initiative that there's a big demand for. 

"It will benefit our economy, it will support a more efficient environment for business and increased economic opportunity,” Mr Donohoe said.

“But above all, we believe it will be a very convenient service for consumers and for citizens.”

Mr Donohoe said there is no final cost estimate for the project, but he believes it would be well within the €15m available to be drawn down for the plan. 

However, he admitted that it would be in the “millions of euro”.