Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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852. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which all decommissioned military barracks have been disposed of or are being utilised for whatever purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32987/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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My Department has been engaged in an ongoing programme of barrack consolidation since 1998. This programme has brought to 14 the number of barracks closed to date.

The total receipts from disposal of installations and lands from 1998 to date amount to approximately €1 20 million.

To date the sale has been completed of the following barracks - Clancy (Dublin), Castleblaney, Ballincollig, Fermoy, Naas, Monaghan, Cavan, Rockhill (Letterkenny), Magee (Kildare), Lifford, Clonmel and Longford.

In relation to Castlebar barracks, agreement has been reached for its sale to Mayo County Council and it is expected that this will be fully completed shortly.

Columb Barracks in Mullingar remains the property of the Department of Defence and is currently used by an Garda Síochána and the Customs Service for training purposes. A large part of the barracks is also in use by Westmeath GAA Board as a training centre. Various local community groups also use the premises. As the barracks is no longer required for military purposes the current financial and administrative burden resulting from its retention cannot be sustained. I have instructed my officials to continue to proceed with its disposal by public auction in the coming months.

A number of other properties have also been identified as surplus to military requirements over recent years. These include married quarters, Reserve Defence Force (RDF) premises and training lands. A large number of these have already been disposed of whilst others are in the process of being prepared for disposal.