Recent reports in the national press seem to confirm that the Kinsealy Research Centre in North Dublin is under threat of closure.
Press reports indicate that the property sale could raise €16m and save the government €350,000 in running costs. Last year in the An Bord Snip Nua recommended a significant reduction in the number of properties owned by the agriculture and food development authority.
As reported before Teagasc had already agreed to sell off 40 of its 91 offices, following the Snip report, including Kinsealy.
Trevor Sargent the Green party minister for Horticulture has however opposed the move to dispense with the research Centre – not surprisingly - the centre is located in his constituency.
Teagasc outlined plans in December to shut the centre. “We have concluded that the Kinsealy research centre is no longer strategically essential to our activities and it is thus proposed to dispose of the sites and relocate the activities currently in place to other Teagasc locations” the agriculture authority said.
