This article is from page 58 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 58 JPG
THE Government it would seem got value for money when decentralis- ing its offices to Kilrush, compared to moving civil servants to other towns.
Sixty staff took up jobs in the town’s Revenue office in Kilrush during Summer 2007.
These workers filled 50 full-time positions through job sharing and other family friendly employment NSU RUN Kone
The government secured a long- term lease for offices in the west Clare capital for €85,000 a year, while the estimated fit out, excluding VAT and fees, was €411,000.
These figures compare favourably to similar sized towns that also ben- efited from the decentralisation of government offices.
The fit out of an office in Listow- el, Co Kerry, cost €1.3m. The an- nual rent for the long-term lease is €183,000.
In Loughrea, Co Galway, the gov-
ernment is paying €139,235, a year in rent for offices which cost another €572,000 to fit out, excluding VAT and Fees.
In Navan, Co Meath, the taxpay- er is funding an office at a rent of €382,492 a year while the fit out cost more than €1.4 million.
In Athy, Co Kidare, the Govern- ment took out a temporary lease on offices costing €©231,554 a year in rent, while fitting out the offices cost €493,000.
It was only in the neighbouring
county of Limerick that the Govern- ment seemed to be paying less rent. The rent for offices in Newcastle West is €68,771 per year.
According to Fine Gael TD Pat Breen the Kilrush office seemed to be value for money.
‘When you consider what has to be paid out for green field sites and the cost of rents in other towns, it Seems a good option.”
“It is a work friendly, open space office,” he said of the offices on the Cappa Road.