OPW spent more than €20m renting Cork buildings while 14 properties remain vacant

Figures show millions spent on leased accommodation in Cork as surplus State-owned properties remain vacant or await disposal

A property in Navigation Square where €97,038 has been paid this year so far. Picture: Chani Anderson

More than €20m has been spent by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on renting buildings in Cork in the last five years, despite it owning 14 vacant buildings in the county.

OPW minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran said the agency provides office and other accommodation for Government departments and State bodies through a combination of leased and State-owned properties.