Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

956. To ask the Minister for Defence his plans regarding development in the Curragh Camp, County Kildare; the position regarding unoccupied housing, housing stock, general buildings, barracks, and so on, in relation to repair, replace or upgrade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35304/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is engaged on an ongoing building programme designed to modernise and enhance the training, operational and accommodation facilities available to members of the Defence Forces. Under the building programme there has been considerable capital investment at the Curragh Camp in recent years. Between 2008 and 2012 my Department has spend in excess of €10.7 million on major building projects at the Camp with individual building projects costing in excess of €1m as follows: New Armoured Vehicle Garaging; Refurbishment & Alterations to No. 4 Block, Plunkett Barracks; Refurbishment of Catering Centre, McDonagh Barracks; Refurbishment of Block 7, Connolly Barracks; Refurbishment of the Infantry School Building; Re-roofing of Military Medical Facility.

The Defence capital works provision has reduced over the last 5 years, from €25.6m in 2008 to €6.24m in 2013. The reduction in funding of 75.6% has significantly impacted on the number and scale of construction projects which it is now possible to undertake in any given year. Notwithstanding the constraints on the capital budget as outlined above, plans are presently being progressed for the provision of substantial additional facilities at the Camp as follows: The refurbishment of the ammunition depot so as to bring the complex into line with modern standards for such facilities; The conversion to natural gas consumption of the major energy consuming facilities in the camp. This is expected to generate significant savings when completed.

Expenditure on minor works, such as the resurfacing of roads and squares and refurbishment works, including the painting of buildings, is treated as current expenditure under the Building programme. Given the overall size of the Camp and the distribution and variety of buildings located within it, a significant portion of the budget for these works is expended on buildings located at the Camp. As with the Building capital budget, the provision for such works has also been in decline in recent years, down from €14.95m in 2008 to €7.460 for 2013.

In relation to the married quarters housing stock, my Department has discontinued the practice of providing such accommodation as it has been found that over time the properties require a significant and disproportionate investment in order to ensure compliance with regulations regarding rental properties. Consequently in recent years there has been a sharp decline in the number of such properties in use with only 27 serving personnel currently occupying married quarters in the Curragh. Where such properties are located outside barracks, they are made available for purchase. Properties located within barracks are not for sale and are removed from the stock of available housing when they become vacant. There are no residential properties (former married quarters) vacant in the Curragh Camp which are currently habitable. From time to time the overall stock of housing within the barracks is reviewed and vacant uninhabitable properties are demolished where it is found to be necessary due to health and safety concerns, to make way for other facilities or in order to improve the layout of the camp generally.