THE OFFICE of Public Works has confirmed plans to close the Government’s publications sales office in Dublin, as part of wider cost-cutting measures.

The shop on Molesworth Street, close to the passport office, has been in operation for several decades but has seen a major drop in sales volume in recent years. It will now close on November 23.

In a statement this lunchtime the junior minister responsible for the OPW, Brian Hayes, said the “nature of publishing has changed dramatically” in recent years, with online availability of laws and other publications reducing the demand for hard copies.

“Sales revenue at the Molesworth Street shop has declined by over 50 per cent since 2008,” Hayes said, adding that the majority of the government’s sales of publications now came through the OPW’s call centre and mail order services.

“I have decided to close the Publications Shop primarily as a cost cutting measure but in making this decision I have also taken into consideration the decline in footfall to the premises,” he said.

“There will be savings achieved in surrendering the lease, but also ancillary staff and logistical savings arising from this decision.”

Data published last year showed that the government had bought out its lease on part of the Sun Alliance Building, in which the office is located, for €555,000 – a move which had saved it €936,000 in rent.

The OPW estimates that the closure of the office will save some €300,000 per annum.

The publications office was usually the only place in which hard copies of tribunal reports could be purchased by the public – and had seen heavy queues when tribunal reports were first published, as they were not readily available online.

The shop was also a well-known address for students studying law, as they would regularly pick up copies of property and corporate legislation there in the run-up to exams.