Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Defence when St. Bricin's Hospital will move to the Curragh in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42274/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision of 14 October 2008 approved a programme for consolidation of Defence Forces formations and included the closure of St. Bricin's. This closure of St Bricin's is linked to previous decisions regarding decentralisation, rather than the barrack consolidation programme. At this stage, it is necessary to arrange to transfer the services provided in St. Bricin's to the Curragh prior to its closure. The arrangements required to facilitate the transfer of the relevant facilities to the Curragh are being considered by my Department in consultation with the Defence Forces in the context of the overall decentralisation programme for my Department and Defence Forces headquarters.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason one building was not built to accommodate all military and civilian personnel in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42275/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decision of December 2003 in relation to decentralisation provides for the transfer of my Department and Defence Force Headquarters (DFHQ) to two separate locations in county Kildare. My Department's Dublin-based civil service staff, together with about 55 military personnel, are being decentralised to Newbridge, Co. Kildare and DFHQ to the Curragh, Co Kildare. Construction and fitting-out of new accommodation at Station Road, Newbridge is being managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The building is under construction and is expected to be available for occupation early in the New Year.

Procurement of the new building for DFHQ is also being handled by the OPW. A State owned site has been identified in the Curragh, planning permission has been granted and a short-list of tenderers has been drawn up by the OPW. The question of proceeding to the next stage of the project (invitation of tenders) is dependent on the necessary funding for the project being available to the OPW. This will be decided as part of the on-going Estimates and budgetary process.