Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Defence the costs including security, insurance or other costs to date associated with the military installations decommissioned in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22200/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of military installations decommissioned in 1998 which have not been disposed of, their current use and income accruing therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22201/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Defence the position in regard to the disposal of all military installations which were decommissioned in 1998; the receipts and costs accruing from such disposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22202/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 to 111, inclusive, together.

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

The sale of 97 acres approximately 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 c.2.7 acres to the Southern Heath Board for €1.73 million was completed in December 2004 and the sale of a further site comprising c.1.7 acres to the HSE South for a consideration of €1.1 million approximately is expected to close shortly. A half-acre site is being transferred to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for a consideration of €1.45 million to facilitate extension of the existing Garda Station located on Main Street, Ballincollig. As was agreed at the time of the closure and sale of Murphy Barracks, an area comprising approximately 27 acres of the property has been transferred to Cork County Council for community use.

An area comprising 19 acres approximately at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, was sold to Cork County Council in 2001 for close to €1 million for economic development of the site in conjunction with the IDA.

Castleblayney Military Post, Co. Monaghan, comprising c. 10 acres, was sold to the North Eastern Health Board for €0.8 million approximately in 2002.

An area comprising 7 acres approximately at Devoy Barracks, Naas, Co. Kildare, was ceded free of charge to Naas Urban District Council, while a further 14 acres were sold to that authority for €8.9 million approximately. The balance of the Barracks lands — one acre — was sold to Kildare County Council for approximately €0.4 million in 2002.

Clancy Barracks, Dublin, comprising 13.6 acres approximately, was sold to Florence Properties Ltd. for €25.4 million in 2004.

The value of sales/disposals completed to date, in respect of the aforementioned five barracks the subject of the July 1998 Government decision, is in the region of €80 million.

The Government decided on 1st July 2003 that Magee Barracks, Kildare, would be among the State lands released for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. How land at this location might play a role in the delivery of affordable housing units is a matter in the first instance for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which is the lead Department for the development of the Affordable Housing Initiative. The legal formalities relating to the transfer of lands at this location are being progressed with that Department and in consultation with the Chief State Solicitor's Office.

The security, maintenance, consultancy and other costs in respect of those Barracks identified for closure in 1998 are as follows :