Government facing calls to strip OPW of property management function

The OPW has been renting the 180,000sq ft Distillers Building in Smithfield, Dublin, at a cost of €8m a year since April of this year.

The Government is facing calls for the OPW to be stripped of its property management function after it emerged the agency is paying €12m to rent a building in north Dublin that will remain vacant for at least 18 months.

The OPW, which has responsibility for managing the State’s property portfolio, has been renting the 180,000sq ft Distillers Building in Smithfield at a cost of €8m a year since April of this year.