Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the opinion expressed in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes that there is no need for two large Army barracks in Dublin. [34849/09]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the recommendation in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes that his Department's property portfolio be rationalised; if it is intended to implement this recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34775/09]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the recommendation in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes that the number of barracks be reduced; if it is intended to implement this recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34768/09]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on the recommendation in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes that the future of Cathal Brugha Barracks be reviewed with a view to possible sale; if it is intended to implement this recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34772/09]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans, arising from the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes, to rationalise the property portfolio of his Department. [34854/09]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Defence his proposals in regard to rationalising the number of Army barracks here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34847/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 12, 14, 26, 41 and 60 together.

The Defence property portfolio is kept under ongoing review by military authorities and the staff in my Department to ensure the most effective use of military resources having regard to the roles assigned by Government to the Defence Forces. This includes ongoing review of the organisation, structure and formation of the forces and the consequential requirement for military barracks and other properties.

The funding realised from the disposal of surplus property together with pay savings has provided resources for the modernisation of the Defence Forces and has been invested in new infrastructure, equipment and training area development. Any further properties that are considered surplus to military requirements will continue to be disposed of and the funding invested to meet the current and future equipment and infrastructure needs of the Defence Forces.

A process of consolidation has recently been undertaken with the movement of the Defence Forces out of Monaghan, Longford, Lifford and Rockhill Barracks. The question concerning the need for two barracks in Dublin, along with the issue of any further consolidation across the Defence Forces as a whole, will be among the issues to be considered in the context of the Estimates process having regard to the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes.

Cathal Brugha, which is referenced in that report, is a very significant installation with a wide range of facilities, accommodation and storage depots and would be costly to replace. This will need to be factored into our consideration, particularly in the current financial situation. Consideration will also need to be given to the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and where personnel would be relocated.

The recommendations in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes and the decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government in the context of the estimates and budgetary process. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage pending the outcome of these deliberative processes.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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I share the misgivings about an installation of the size of Cathal Brugha Barracks being taken out of the Army property portfolio at a time when the national finances are in crisis. Will the Minister not agree that this is not the time to be disposing of property, in the first instance? As he pointed out, there would be a very significant upfront cost, as the McCarthy says, in terms of finding alternative accommodation. The McCarthy report says the rationalisation of premises would contribute to the reduction in numbers in the Permanent Defence Force. I am not sure what he means by that. Does the Minister have an understanding of that statement in the report, to the effect that the rationalisation of premises will contribute to the reduction in numbers? Does he mean, in fact, that if places are closed it is easier to get rid of people?

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Anybody reading that would have to interpret it in his or her own way. All I can say is that my interpretation might not be that far from Deputy O'Shea's. I agree with him that it is a very bad time to be disposing of a property such as Cathal Brugha Barracks. It is an enormous property, very well located in Dublin and would have yielded a fortune if disposed of a couple of years ago during the height of the boom. This is a very bad time to be selling it since the market is flat.

As the Deputy rightly points out, and the McCarthy report recognises this, there is an upfront cost which would have to be incurred before the sale would take place. We would have had to provide some place for people to go to. Basically, we are looking for ways to save money now rather than ways to spend more. I do not envisage anything will be happening in that regard in the near future. For information purposes I should inform the House that we have about 30 smaller units throughout the country, empty at present, which we believe may be gradually sold. We are appointing valuers to see what type of money we should be seeking for them. Some of them are old with specific types of usage only and as such would not be suitable for certain types of development. We are looking at this in the immediate future. We are not looking at the imminent disposal of Cathal Brugha Barracks, however.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Where there might be an opportunity for a community to acquire a unit, say, among the 30 the Minister said were being sold, would sympathetic consideration be given in the event, rather than to an individual who might buy the premises for commercial purposes? On the issue of the barracks that were closed can he give us any update as regards any proposal to put those properties up for sale and what are the maintenance costs, now that they are closed? Have approaches been made by communities for the use of any of those barracks? I believe such an approach has been made to the Department of Defence in regard to the Donegal barracks. Will the Minister give favourable consideration to this suggestion if approaches are made?

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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While I do not have the information to hand, I will get the complete up-to-date position for the Deputy in regard to the plans for barracks that are closed, the maintenance costs and so on. During the last period of barrack consolidation, we made some facilities available to local communities, as the Deputy is aware. Times are tougher now and most of those properties will be sold off by public tender. However, we have the right to allocate them directly to communities or to other State organisations if we so wish. All I can tell the House is that I will consider any proposal that comes in, and I will do so as sympathetically as possible within the constraints upon us.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Is there a security cost in regard to protecting the 30 premises listed? The Reserve Defence Force has a role in the staffing of military posts during periods of Permanent Defence Force deployment. Is this a way in which savings could be effected where private security is currently being provided? Is there a scenario whereby the role of the Reserve Defence Force could be increased so that they could provide the security? In the context of what I suggested earlier, namely, getting more people involved in the Reserve Defence Force, I suspected there might be grounds for going ahead with such a development and, while there might not be any saving as such, the money already being spent on security could be used in this manner.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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That is a useful suggestion, which I will certainly discuss with my officials.