Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans for the location of each of the sections of Defence Forces headquarters; when his Department will move to its new offices in Newbridge, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42246/09]

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 the Department of Defence and of Defence Force Headquarters (DFHQ) to Newbridge, Co. Kildare and the Curragh, Co Kildare, respectively. My Department's Dublin-based civil servants, together with about 55 military personnel, will relocate to Newbridge. DFHQ will relocate to the Curragh. 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 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. 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.