Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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The Minister of State is very welcome. I thank him for coming here to discuss this important matter for the residents of the Stamullen and Gormanston areas. The Defence Forces currently own land of 261 acres in the Gormanston area, upon which Gormanston Camp is based. The camp and the disused aerodrome occupy a certain portion of this land and much of the remaining land is leased for agricultural use. The land to which I refer is filed under folio numbers MH11409N and MH6108N. It was previously zoned for industrial use some years ago but remains unzoned since 2011. What future plans does the Minister have for the land surrounding Gormanston Camp? Will he consider the disposal of a portion of this land, approximately 8 to 9 acres, to the local community in order that it may develop community facilities?

This Government has made considerable strides in the past two years to establish bodies and frameworks, such as the Land Development Agency, in order that public land may be used in the most efficient manner to serve the communities where it exists. In the midst of a housing crisis, this often takes the form of housing. We all understand, too, that dwellings alone do not make a sustainable environment or community and that facilities and amenities must also receive funding.

If this parcel of land were to be placed under the remit of the local authority, it could be used to develop state-of-the-art football pitches for the local club of 360 members. These children have been using the facilities and pitches at the Franciscan College, Gormanston, but, for reasons outside of their control, will no longer be able to do so from April. Effectively, they have nowhere to go. This land could provide them with pitches of their own to enable them to train and play freely and reach their full potential.

In addition, the local area has been in need of a graveyard for some time. A portion of this land could be set aside for this purpose and provide an essential service to the community. Other plans for the area could incorporate child-friendly and family-friendly amenities, such as playgrounds, obstacle courses and fitness areas. We know that such community facilities improve quality of life and mental health in our towns.

Perhaps the Minister of State knows of some top-secret plans for this land, but cannot divulge them here. If no such plans exist, will consideration be given to allowing the land to be used and developed for the projects I have in mind? I would not ask the State for land if I could find land in those areas to serve the people whom I represent in the Gormanston-Stamullen area. I have gone after every landowner and farm owner in the area asking them to sell some land to the community. They just do not have any available. There is no zoned land in Gormanston. All of it was dezoned as part of the development plan, so there is nothing that can be sold for community use. I am here today to ask the State whether it would consider disposing of some of the land in question for community use.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, I thank the Senator for raising this important issue today. Unfortunately, I wish to advise the House that there are no plans to dispose of any land held by the Defence Forces in the Stamullen and Gormanston areas to local authorities for

The Minister and I fully appreciate the importance of local community groups and the outstanding work that they do across the country. Indeed, the Defence Forces have a very proud tradition of working with such groups and, where possible, facilitating them. I understand that there have been previous requests from a local community to access these lands and that officials in the Department set out the difficulties with accessing operational military areas. The use of this military facility has grown recently for training purposes and this level of usage can be expected to continue in the coming years. I understand this request was considered at the most senior levels within the Defence Forces and the Department but, regrettably, it was not possible facilitate the requested access for the reasons I have mentioned.

While the Defence Forces engage with numerous community organisations across the country and make their premises and facilities available to local groups when possible, military landholdings should not be viewed as a resource to be handed over for civilian use whenever requested. These are military sites for military activities, and this should always be borne in mind. Apart from any future requirement, it is vital that the Defence Forces have access to land and facilities at present where they can train and engage in manoeuvres to ensure operational readiness and their ability to carry out tasks assigned to them by the Government.

I thank the Senator for raising the specific issue of lands in the Stamullen and Gormanston areas today and, on behalf of the Minister, I assure the House that the Defence Forces will continue the positive community engagements that happen all over the country on a regular basis.

The Senator raised an important issue regarding football pitches in her area and the fact that the lands at Franciscan College Gormanston are not available to them for some reason. She also referred to child- and family-friendly situations and the provision of a graveyard. She has made a compelling argument and I have no problem with her writing in to express her views. I will bring them to the attention of the Minister. The Senator said there were 270 acres and that she was looking for 5 or 6 acres.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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There are 261 acres.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I will bring that back to the Minister. This matter has been discussed at the highest level in the Defence Forces. Unfortunately, I do not have good news for the Senator, but in light of the issues she has raised and the fact that no lands are available under the development plan, perhaps we could ask the Defence Forces to consider this matter again.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. I am disappointed by the answer, though. The State has 261 acres and only 50 acres are being used for military training currently, so losing 5 to 6 acres would not make any difference to it, but it would make a major difference to the community.

The Franciscans sold their site for the development of a new school. This means that the soccer club has to get off the site in April. The club is paying €20,000 per year to use that facility. It has the capacity to buy land but there is nothing for sale. The State has the only land that I can go after. I would like to meet someone in the Department who could consider whether there is a portion of land that could be given to the community. I would be happy to sit down with that person and with the local authority to explore the possibilities. If we cannot do that, then fine, but if we could sit down and explore the matter, we might find a portion of land that could be of use to the community.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I was involved in buying a soccer pitch in my town of Boyle in the late 1980s and I know the use that has been made of it over the past 35 years. It was money well spent, so I understand the Senator's position.

She requested a meeting with the Department. It is not my Department, but if she writes to the Minister, we can pursue that request.

I restate my support for the excellent work being carried out by local community groups throughout the country. The Defence Forces make time and facilities available to local groups where possible, but they must also consider their operational requirements. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to accommodate within the role and requirements of the Defence Forces requests from communities to access lands.

I ask that the Senator write in and seek a meeting. I would love to see there being some mechanism whereby the local community could access those lands. I have seen myself how important such activities can be.