Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works (OPW), has launched the Property Asset Management Plan "Accommodating Change – Measuring Success".

The Plan is the work of the Steering Group on Property Asset Management, chaired by the Chairman of the Office of Public Works. The OPW has the central role in driving efficiencies across the State's diverse property portfolio, in accordance with the Government's programme of public service reforms.

Speaking at the launch earlier this week, the Minister said: "Last week, the Government agreed to the Property Asset Management Delivery Plan. Today, I am pleased to launch this plan. After people, property is the largest driver of costs across the Public Service. Effective property asset management is key to reducing costs on public service delivery. For example, I am pleased that my Office, the OPW, has achieved annual savings of over €30m euro to the State by reducing leases and office spaces everywhere they are not required. This is one full year ahead of target and represents substantial progress in this area.

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"Established in late 2012, the Steering Group examined the changes required to deliver effective reform. For the first time, all Government Departments will have to take account of the implications for accommodation in their Strategy Statements and business plans. Other actions include the establishment of a Property Managers' Network, the adoption of European standards for facility management (ISEN 15221) to provide a consistent standard method for data collection in spatial, financial and environmental property planning and standard protocols for intra-public service property transfers. A new web-mapping register will show core data for all State buildings and lands while the highly successful Optimising Power at Work programme will be rolled out to more State buildings.

"We have to look at new models of funding public buildings. We have buildings of real value, which require investment. I want to see how this value can be realised in terms of a public private partnership approach, which will be good for the private sector and good for us in the Public Sector. This autumn the OPW will host a public consultation with the industry on how best to develop workable funding models. In addition, the newly established Office of Government Procurement (OGP) will be looking at ways to outsource significant elements of facilities management, i.e., building maintenance and management."

The Minister concluded by acknowledging the work of the Steering Group and went on to say that "this Plan represents a shift away from narrow assessment of individual property assets to a more strategic one. For the first time, the OPW has been given a directive role in the context of the management of central governmental property portfolio. We will coordinate our policy in maintaining and efficiently organising the property asset portfolio of the state. It's a reform that is long overdue."

(CD/JP)