Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is missing a point. The barracks is a very big facility. Significant maintenance costs come with ownership and management of a facility such as that. In the barracks for which there is no longer a military function, we are looking at disposal in the medium to long term but we are also trying to ensure it is the right disposal for communities who have strong linkages with the various barracks that have been closed.

We have done that in respect of the other barracks very successfully with local authorities, An Garda Síochána, other community groups and so on. There is an ongoing discussion with Kildare County Council. It is not the role of the Department of Defence to be a landlord indefinitely to facilitate multiple groups. We will do that in the interim and if we can put long-term arrangements that make sense in place, we will do that as well. However, I have to consider this in the round.

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