Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Defence his plans for Magee Barracks in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34865/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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This question is direct and straightforward. It relates to the historic Magee Barracks in Kildare, which was originally a 64-acre site. Recently, a magnificent new Educate Together school was opened on part of the site but the remainder of the land is in an appalling state. It is a monument to dereliction and the site of continuous anti-social behaviour. I am trying to establish what the Minister intends to do about it.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which we have discussed a number of times, and I understand why he might have an interest in it.

In July 1998, the Government approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six Army barracks considered surplus to military requirements. Magee Barracks was one of the barracks identified for closure. On 1 July 2003, the Government decided the former Magee Barracks in Kildare town would be among the State lands released to Kildare County Council for inclusion in the sustaining progress affordable housing initiative. On foot of this Government decision, the council prepared a local area plan for the site which encompassed a range of uses including community use. Following discussions between the Department, the council and the then Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and in accordance with the terms of the housing initiative, it was agreed that the entire site would be transferred to the council. A final contract for transfer was issued to Kildare County Council in January 2009. Subsequently, however, the council advised the Department that it no longer wished to take possession of the property.

Officials from my Department recently met the chief executive officer and an official from Kildare County Council. The discussions centred on a number of issues including the Department’s future plans for Magee Barracks. It is proposed to dispose of the remaining 50 acres of the barracks by public auction later this year. An auctioneer has been appointed to manage the disposal on behalf of the Department and the Chief State Solicitor's office is currently finalising the contracts for sale.

The local development plan for Kildare town, 2012 to 2018, has made provision for substantial community developments on the barracks site. Consequently, any buyer will be obliged to comply with these provisions, thereby ensuring the local community will benefit directly from the sale.

I said previously when we discussed this issue that we would engage with Kildare County Council and we have.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am sorry. I will let the Minister back in.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is the result of that conversation.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The key issue is that when the barracks were initially closed, a firm written commitment was given at the time by the Department to transfer ten acres of the site to the benefit of the local community either by way of the land itself or the equivalent value. I welcome the fact that the Minister has had discussions with Kildare County Council. If the position is as simple as he portrays it and if the council, in its previous manifestation, refused to accept the land when it was offered in its entirety, then that was a massive dereliction of duty on its part. However, he said the land was subject to zoning.

Any piece of land, particularly any block of 50 acres of land, in the centre of any town will be subject to zoning and criteria set out in a county development plan, but that does not constitute a replacement for the undertaking previously given.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Let me be clear. We have sold to the Department of Education and Skills an eight acre site which the Department made available and which, as Deputy Ó Fearghaíl states, has been the site for the building of a fantastic new school. We also intended to transfer the rest of the site to Kildare County Council. We thought that was what the community wanted and that is what Kildare County Council said it wanted at the time, but it has changed its mind. We are anxious that the dereliction to which Deputy Ó Fearghaíl has referred would not continue. The way to do that is to ensure this site is properly developed. The site is subject to appropriate zoning through the county development plan. Obviously there are restrictions and requirements on any developer in terms of how it would be developed in the interests of community development as well as what it is a developer wants to do. The responsible thing to do at this stage is to move the matter on to try to ensure that the site, which is a valuable one and has great potential for both the local community and other uses, is developed. We need to facilitate that progression because all we have had to date is stagnation. We have an obligation to move on it.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I agree absolutely with the Minister that we need to move this matter on and see the site developed. However, the Minister is saying effectively that he intends to renege upon the commitment given to the community.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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No.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister just said it and I am afraid the reality is that he wants and intends to renege on the commitment that land would be made available directly to the community. What might come to the community by way of community benefit from the development of the land is incidental and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Minister's Department. He has no control over or role in that fact. The decision makers in Kildare County Council who decided, unbeknownst to the elected members of the county council, they would not accept the land are no longer there. They are no longer there to answer why they refused this land. I ask the Minister, finally-----

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Kildare County Council can still decide if it wants the land.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Just a second, please. There are time limits, which is why we have a clock.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Finally, is there any short-term intention to use the site for any purpose?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Let me make this absolutely clear. If Kildare County Council wants to acquire this land, it still has the opportunity to do so. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl should not start blaming this situation on previous management. Today, if Kildare County Council decided to pick up the telephone and say it wants to acquire the land and develop it for community use, social housing or other purposes, we are open to that conversation, as we have always been. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl should not try to spin this for political reasons, blame management who are no longer in place and start pointing the finger at me and others, saying we are not being co-operative. We are happy for this land to be transferred to Kildare County Council for what was previously agreed. Unfortunately we now know that the current management and council do not want to proceed with it, which is fine. They have instead decided that this land will be developed by the private sector but under zoning restrictions. This is how the situation will proceed.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Minister.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The same restrictions would apply to any piece of land.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Defence is happy to facilitate the council, but Deputy Ó Fearghaíl should not try to twist-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister and his Department are reneging on the commitment

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, please.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We are not reneging on anything.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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You most definitely are.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We were happy to do a deal with the Department of Education and Skills, which we have done-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Which was welcome.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are over time.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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-----and with Kildare County Council, which we offered to do, but it decided against it. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl cannot expect the Department of Defence to do much more than that.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Before we proceed, will all concerned look at the clocks? Otherwise we will run short of time and the unfortunates on Other Questions will not get a chance to come in and ask their questions.