The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) owns 16 vacant properties of which four are residential properties, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has said.
Minister McConalogue said while his department is not the registered owner of Longtown Farmlands and buildings, it does “control and manage the farm”.
However, this property has been vacant for “some time and is not habitable”. Minister McConalogue said that plans are “underway” to have it refurbished.
The minister was responding to a parliamentary question by Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín
who asked the number of vacant properties owned by his department, and the number of which are houses or residential properties.
“I wish to inform the deputy that my department owns 16 vacant properties of which 4 are residential properties.
“While my department is not the registered owner of Longtown Farmlands and buildings, it does control and manage the farm.
“This property has been vacant for some time and is not habitable. Plans are underway to have it refurbished,” Minister McConalogue said in response to Deputy Tóibín.
DAFM
Earlier this year, a review of estate management showed that the DAFM “lost a forest” and “found” a Georgian Manor. Chapter 10 of the Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022, gave an insight into estate management at the DAFM.
The DAFM has an estate portfolio of 85 buildings and land plots covering 1,724ha located across the state. This includes former land commission lands, forest plots, laboratories and farms.
The Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) examined the chapter during a meeting in July. A sample of 14 buildings and land plots across 12 sites, totalling 661ha or 38% of the DAFM’s portfolio were selected for review.
For one particular forest plot listed on the DAFM’s asset register as being in Durrow, Co. Laois, the DAFM was unable to provide location details.
It was not clear whether this was a previously-owned plot that should have been removed from the asset register, or whether a site was ever owned at that location. The DAFM has since removed this from its asset register.
During a site visit to lands at Backweston, the examination team identified a Georgian farmhouse, approximately 235m2, which was not recorded on either the DAFM’s or the Office of Public Works’ (OPW) asset register.
The DAFM stated that the farm foreman resides in the farmhouse, and advised that there is no tenancy agreement in place as it is a requirement of the post that the farm foreman resides on the farm.
The building has since been added to the DAFM’s asset register.