Kildare County Council has approved the sale of a site at Station Road in Newbridge to the Office of Public Works for the construction of the Department's new headquarters. A preferred tenderer for the design and construction of the building has been chosen and the planning process is under way with a decision by OPW expected shortly. Depending on planning and the commencement of building work, OPW has indicated that construction and fit-out will take 18 months to complete.
The number of Departmental staff to be relocated to Newbridge is just over 200. There are currently 128 Newbridge-bound staff serving in the Department, which amounts to 70% of the total administrative and clerical staff requirement. In addition to the civil servants, 43 military personnel will be located in Newbridge also.