THE new £12 million Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands at the Conyingham Road entrance to Dublin's Phoenix Park, will be the first purpose-built government department since Sean Lemass commissioned the Department of Industry and Commerce in Kildare Street in 1935. It is now occupied by the Ministries of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, and Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr Jim McDaid. All the other government departments are housed in buildings built for other purposes or, like Agriculture, also in Kildare Street, built by developers and bought by the Government. Sile de Valera is certainly putting her stamp on the department by changing its name - from Arts and Culture - its logo - from what has been called "three Galway hookers" to an oghram design - and its location. The department is currently split between six leased buildings around Dublin - the Minister's office at Mespil Road, 25-28 Adelaide Road, Phoenix House in South Leinster House, St Stephens Green House, 17-19 Hatch Street and 51 St Stephen's Green. An international competition to design the new department - which must take account of its proximity to a Gandon Building, but not presumably its location on the old car pound - will be advertised next week, a short list of six will ready in June, and the winner chosen by the end of August. The judges are Brian Farrell (chair), broadcaster and architect Marian Finucane, architect Joan O'Connor, Dublin City Architect Jim Barrett, the Dutch chief government architect, Wytze Patijn, the assistant secretary to the department Brendan Scully, the adviser to the department Michael Ronayne, the director of Architectural Services at the OPW, Michael O'Doherty, OPW Commissioner Sean Benton, and the Director of the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies at York University, John Worthington.