OPW property management report reveals failures

The C&AG identified failures in how the OPW manages 92 residential properties
More than half of the properties are in the Phoenix Park in Dublin
The OPW received average monthly rent of €169 when market rate was €1,750
There was an 83pc increase in properties occupied by OPW retirees since 2015
The C&AG recommended a complete inventory of all residential properties be compiled

The Comptroller and Auditor General has identified failures in how the Office of Public Works manages 92 residential properties across its portfolio. The report has examined how the OPW monitors and manages these properties. More than half of the properties are in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

An examination found an absence of formal arrangements for the management of 36 properties by other entities. Of 34 residential properties in the Phoenix Park, rent was being paid on 13 with no rent due on the remaining buildings. The OPW received an average monthly rent of €169 when the 2024 market rate for similar properties was €1,750 per month.

The report found an 83pc increase in properties occupied by OPW retirees since 2015. Guidelines stipulate that personnel living in buildings in the Phoenix Park should vacate them on retirement. The C&AG recommended that a complete and accurate inventory of all residential properties owned by the OPW be compiled. The report set timelines of December 2026 and June 2027 for completion of the recommendations.