Written Answers. - Sale of Army Barracks.
Bernard Allen
Question:
292
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Defence
the amount of money realised from the closure and disposal of military barracks vacated in September 1998; the amount incurred in fees and other services to date; the net amount made available to the Defence Forces; the actual properties still in the control of his Department; and the time frame for their disposal.
[24293/00]
The sale of six barracks identified as surplus to military requirements is being progressed. The barracks in question are located at Fermoy, Ballincollig, Naas, Kildare, Castleblayney and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. Five of the barracks have been vacated while the sixth, Clancy Barracks, will be evacuated in the near future.
Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, is in the process of being sold to Cork County Council for economic development of the site in conjunction with IDA Ireland. The agreed price is £767,000 and it is hoped that the formalities of this sale can be completed in the near future. The lands will be developed and marketed as a strategic industrial site to attract inward investment.
The former Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, comprises an area of approximately 22 acres. I agreed to cede seven acres free of charge to Naas Urban District Council and to sell one acre to Kildare County Council, all for local community purposes. I have recently agreed to sell the remaining 14 acres or thereabouts, which are zoned for housing, to Naas UDC for £7 million. The legal formalities to give effect to these agreements have commenced.
In relation to Castleblayney, that property is in the process of being sold to the North Eastern Health Board for £600,000 and it is anticipated that sale contracts will be signed in the near future. Pending completion of the legal and financial formalities, a caretaker's agreement was completed and the former barracks was handed over to the health board earlier this year on foot of that agreement.
In relation to the aforementioned properties, where sales have been agreed, the sale formalities are in progress and on completion of those formalities the agreed amounts, totalling £8.367 million, will be realised by my Department.
A comprehensive integrated action area plan was commissioned from independent consultants to provide for the future development of the former Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig. That plan provides for a wide range of community, amenity, residential and commercial uses for the property. The development of the Murphy Barracks lands will be critical in the future overall development of the town of Ballincollig. My Department submitted the integrated plan to Cork County Council in April of this year for consideration in the context of a variation to the existing Cork County development plan and my officials recently met with council officials to discuss various aspects of this matter.
Further discussions will take place in the near future and the property will be put on the market following adoption of the integrated plan into the Cork County development plan.
In relation to the need for accommodation for refugees, the vacated Magee Barracks, Kildare, has been used to accommodate Kosovar refugees since May of last year. The barracks is now also providing accommodation for asylum seekers. In view of those needs, it has not been possible to arrange for the disposal of the property. However, this matter is being kept under review.
Clancy Barracks, Dublin, will be evacuated in the near future when alternative accommodation becomes available. The disposal of the property should proceed in 2001.
As indicated, the disposal of barracks is proceeding and it is expected that in excess of £50 million will be realised from the sale of the properties. The moneys raised will be used primarily for re-equipment and refurbishment within the Defence Forces. The cost of the barrack re-investment programme is estimated at £50 million. The programme commenced in 1999 and will run until 2003. Provision for this expenditure is being made in my Departments' Estimates.
The total costs incurred to date, in respect of security and essential maintenance and other services at the vacated military barracks, are as follows:
|
Location
|
Security Costs
|
Maintenance(including the provision of lighting etc.)
|
|
Ballincollig
|
£353,650.41
|
£32,850.16
|
|
Fermoy
|
£188,042.48
|
£19,586.66
|
|
Naas
|
£231,048.46
|
£8,387.21
|
|
Kildare
|
£88,920.48
|
£6,125.76
|
|
Castleblayney
|
£103,398.15
|
£8,320.03
|
Significant savings have arisen since the evacuation of the five barracks placed under private security arrangements. On military security duty allowances alone, it is estimated that savings to date amount to almost £714,000. In addition, there have been significant savings on utility costs, such as telephone, gas and electricity charges at each of the evacuated barracks which, for example, would have amounted to approximately £115,000 in the case of Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig. In addition, the total cost of fees incurred to date amounts to £131,292, which includes advertising costs.
