Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 158: To ask the Minister for Defence the position regarding the disposal of all of the military installations decommissioned in 1998; the total receipts on foot of sale or lease in the interim; the total costs of maintenance, security and other costs throughout the period; the likely developments in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26120/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On 15 July 1998, the Government approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks considered surplus to military requirements. The barracks in question were located at Ballincollig, Fermoy, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare and Islandbridge, Dublin.

The sale of approximately 97 acres at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, was completed in 2003 for a total of €42 million. The bulk of the lands were purchased by O'Flynn Construction. The sale of a site comprising circa 2.7 acres to the Southern Heath Board for €1.73 million was completed last December. It was agreed at the time that an area comprising approximately 27 acres at Murphy Barracks would be transferred to Cork County Council for community use and title to this area is currently being transferred to the council. A half acre site has been set aside on foot of a request from the Office of Public Works for a plot of ground to facilitate extension of the existing Garda station located on Main Street, Ballincollig, as has a site comprising circa 1.7 acres for the Department of Education and Science for a Gaelscoil. The combined value of those two sites is in the region of €2.5 million.

Some 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, were sold to Cork County Council in 2001 for €973,889 for development in conjunction with the IDA. Castleblayney Military Post, County Monaghan, comprising circa ten acres, was sold to the North Eastern Health Board for €761,843 in 2002. Seven acres at Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, were ceded free of charge to Naas Urban District Council, while a further 14 acres were sold to that authority for €8,888,167. The balance of the barracks lands — one acre — was sold to Kildare County Council for €380,921 in 2002. Clancy Barracks, Islandbridge, Dublin, comprising approximately 13.65 acres was sold to Florence Properties Limited for €25.4 million in 2004.

The Government decided on 1 July 2003 that Magee Barracks, Kildare, would be among the State lands released for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative. The intention is that this initiative will be targeted at those who in the past would have expected to purchase a house from their own resources but find that they are unable to do so in the current market. How land at this location might play a role in the delivery of affordable housing units is the subject of ongoing communication with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The value of sales-disposals completed to date, in respect of the six barracks the subject of the July 1998 Government decision, is in the region of €80 million. The security, maintenance, consultancy and other costs in respect of those barracks identified for closure in 1998 are as follows:

These costs were more than offset by savings on military security duty allowances and utility costs consequent on the closure of the six barracks. There are no plans to close any further barracks. The Department's property portfolio is, however, kept under continual review and any properties deemed surplus to military requirements will be disposed of to fund much needed investment, to meet the equipment and infrastructure needs of the Defence Forces.