I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.
The Office of Public Works is leading a Strategic Review to assess potential consolidation of some of the State agency footprint at Dublin Port. This review is being carried out by the Office of Public Works on behalf of Revenue, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Health/ Health Service Executive. It is foreseen that the report will go through final approval by end of Q2.
Once complete, the Strategic Review will be subject to approval by a steering group, known as the Brexit Infrastructure Group and a decision will then be made by this group about publication.
Some capacity within Dublin Port (Terminal 7) has already been vacated and released. Collaboration is ongoing with all Stakeholders in relation to the potential rationalisation of further sites (including Terminal 9) in Dublin Port. It is regularly required and is good practice, to review demand, use and needs in such large infrastructural work. The strategic review will inform the direction of policy for the medium to long term.
To meet the construction and overall project deadlines, the OPW used an existing Contract, extending the contract for larger Brexit projects. The Department of Public Expenditure sanctioned this approach at the time, due to the urgent delivery needs. Using this Contract with pre-tendered rates allowed OPW, as Contracting Authority, fix prices where possible. The remaining specialised works were then tendered at market rates.
As stated in the OCAG Special Report on Brexit physical infrastructure delivery and use; planning for public service delivery in the context of highly uncertain future events is challenging and carries the inherent risk that resources may be applied to uses that ultimately are not required. In such circumstances, planned developments are in effect a form of insurance, and the value for money they represent must be assessed in these terms.
