Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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98. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on the discussions his Department has had with Kildare County Council regarding the future use of lands at Magee Barracks, Kildare town; if the sale of these lands by his Department is imminent; his plans to honour the explicit written guarantee provided by him and his Department to the community in County Kildare, at the time of the closure, that on disposal of the lands, ten acres of it would be donated to the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20953/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Officials from my Department recently met with the CEO and an official from Kildare County Council. The discussions centered on a number of issues including the Department’s future plans for Magee Barracks.

Regarding the allocation of part of the Barracks for community use, the position is that following the closure of the Barracks in 1998, it was agreed that the entire site would be transferred to Kildare County Council free of charge for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. A final Contract for transfer was issued to Kildare County Council in January 2009, however, the Council declined to sign the contract advising the Department that it no longer wished to take possession of the property.