Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 338: To ask the Minister for Defence the annual financial savings that will be made for the State by the closures of Rockhill and Lifford Army barracks, County Donegal; if he will provide this information in account form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2978/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The closure of barracks and the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective of the White Paper on Defence. While the decision was made in the context of realising savings in the Defence budget, the decision was not purely a financial one. The consolidation process is designed to facilitate collective training and improved training standards, while also freeing up under-utilised resources and personnel for operational duties. The dispersal of personnel over an extended number of locations is a major impediment to essential collective training. It also imposes increased and unnecessary overheads on the Defence Forces in terms of barrack management, administration, maintenance and security. The current plan has been put together in close consultation and cooperation with the Defence Forces General Staff. It provides an overall package that will serve the needs of the Defence Forces into the future.

A detailed cost benefit was compiled by the Department on the overall package of consolidation proposals. The immediate costs which will be incurred in preparing the barracks to receive the troops will cost approximately €3.2million, against annual recurring savings estimated at €2.7 million. Over a three year period, with the disposal of the properties, the net benefit to the Defence Forces will amount to some €23.6 million. I am fully satisfied that the proposals are justified on cost grounds, on the contribution which receipts from the sale of the properties will make to Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure funding and on the basis of the qualitative benefits accruing in terms of Defence Forces training.