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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 4

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Property.

Seán Power

Question:

16 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Defence the funding which has been realised from the sale of barracks; the areas in which this money has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24460/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

27 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the sale of Clancy Barracks, Dublin; if a sale has been agreed; if so, the purchaser and the price agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24452/01]

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

31 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the sale of lands by his Department in relation to those barracks in respect of which announcements have already been made and others that may be under negotiation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24451/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

97 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence if it is intended to proceed with all or other proposed closures of military installations through out the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24765/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

98 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the disposal of the various military installations, closed in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24766/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

100 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the total costs including legal fees, security or other outlay, associated with the disposal of the various military installations since their closure in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24768/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 27, 31, 97, 98 and 100 together.

The Government, on 15 July 1998, approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks which are considered surplus to military requirements. 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 this year.

The sale of 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy to Cork County Council, in conjunction with IDA Ireland, for £767,000 or 973,889, has been completed. The lands will be developed and marketed as a strategic industrial site to attract inward investment. This development will greatly assist in the continuing revitalisation of Fermoy and will greatly enhance its potential for future industrial development.

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 for £300,000 or 380,921 all for local community purposes. I have also agreed to sell the remaining 14 acres or thereabouts, which are zoned for housing, to Naas UDC for £7 million or 8,888,167. The legal formalities to give effect to these agreements are progressing and I expect them to be completed very shortly.

In relation to Castleblayney, that property is in the process of being sold to the North Eastern Health Board for £600,000 or 761, 843 and sale contracts have recently been signed. 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 last year on foot of that agreement. The legal formalities to complete the sale are progressing.

In relation to Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig a comprehensive integrated action area plan was commissioned from independent consultants to provide for the future development of this property. My Department submitted the integrated plan to Cork County Council in April of last year, for consideration in the context of a variation to the existing Cork county development plan. I understand the matter was on the agenda of a recent meeting of the council and that no objection was raised to the adoption of the plan. A final decision on the matter is expected in the near future. Arrangements to put this property on the market are currently in train.
In relation to the need for accommodation, the vacated Magee Barracks, Kildare, is now providing accommodation for asylum seekers. I have also agreed to provide circa one acre to the local authority for a temporary halting site for 20 persons for a period of one year. In relation to the remainder of this site I am arranging early discussions with all the interested parties, including the local authority.
Clancy Barracks, Dublin, was advertised by the selling agents, Hamilton Osborne King, for sale by public tender on the 14 June 2001. Two bids were received one of which was from Dublin Corporation. Both tenders were considered too low to permit acceptance. My Department is, of course, prepared to talk to any party interested in purchasing the property, which remains on the market. It is my intention to generate the maximum return from the site for re-investment in essential Defence Forces needs.
In addition to the foregoing properties, agreements have also been reached for the sale of the following: 1.07 acres at Arbour Hill to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for £2.5 million, 3,174,345; 6.39 acres known as Susan's Field, adjoining Collins Barracks, Cork to Cork Corporation for £1.2 million, or 1.523,686; 3.0192 acres at Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick, to Limerick Corporation for £915,000 or 1,161,810; 1.559 acres at Waterford Barracks to Waterford Corporation for £550,000 or 698,356; 20 acres of the Curragh lands to Kildare County Council for £215,000 or 272,994 to assist with the construction of the Kildare by-pass and married quarters at Orchard Park, Curragh, County Kildare to residents, which will realise £3 million or 3,809,214 approximately. To date £647,050 or 821,584 has been received.
The disposal of ten acres beside Renmore Barracks, Galway will proceed as soon as is practicable.
I have also decided to sell approximately 150 acres at Gormanston camp. However, the military camp of 57 acres will not be sold. It is too early to estimate the likely proceeds from this sale as the preliminary planning is still in progress.
As can be seen, many of the properties are destined for disposal to local authorities in recognition of the increased needs for building lands being experienced by those authorities. A number of smaller surplus properties are also being sold to various individuals at present.
In addition to the foregoing properties which are surplus to requirements and in the context of the White Paper on Defence and the management of resources in the best possible way, the military authorities have been asked to identify any additional properties considered surplus to requirements. This process is ongoing.
As indicated, the disposal of barracks is proceeding. It is expected that up to £100 million or 126,973,808 will be realised from the sale of the properties. The moneys raised from the sale of the six barracks earmarked for disposal in 1998, and those additional surplus properties since identified, will be used primarily for re-equipment and refurbishment within the Defence Forces.
The barrack reinvestment programme was initiated by my Department in 1999, to complement expenditure on the normal range of building and engineering works, for the purpose of providing modern living, operational and training accommodation for the Defence Forces. The special programme is centred mainly on the Curragh Camp and on Collins Barracks, Cork. The total cost of this programme, which will be completed in 2003, is estimated at £45 million or 57.1 million.
Details of expenditure, project costs and progress to date, are shown in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
The costs to my Department associated with the disposal of surplus military property since July 1998 is £1.578 million or 2.004 million.
Arising from the temporary provision of accommodation for asylum seekers the cost of security at Magee Barracks, Kildare is now met by the Office of Public Works and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Castleblayney Military Barracks was transferred to the North Eastern Health Board on a caretaker basis on 9 February 2000 and the former Fitzgerald Camp in Fermoy has been sold to Cork County Council and no further costs will fall to be met by my Department in relation to either of these properties.
Significant savings have arisen since the evacuation of the five barracks placed under private security arrangements. On military security duty alone, it is estimated that savings to date amount to almost £1,022,000 or 1,297,672. 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 £165,000 or 209,507 in the case of Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig.
Legal services are provided for the Department by the Chief State Solicitor.
Barrack Re-Investment Programme

Project Description

Location

Estimated Final cost£ million( million)

%Completedto Date

New Swimming Pool and Gymnasium

Curragh Camp

6.3(8.00)

100%

NCO's Mess East, Preliminary Work

Curragh Camp

0.61(0.77)

100%

Clarke Barracks, Blocks A and B (Accommodation)

Curragh Camp

1.26(1.60)

100%

Group Stores 1 2 3 and 4

Curragh Camp

5.45(6.92)

100%

Transport Technical Stores

Curragh Camp

1.81(2.30)

100%

Ordnance and Transport Schools

Curragh Camp

2.68(3.40)

80%

8 Block Plunkett and 3 Block Connolly (Workshop and Stores)

Curragh Camp

2.92(3.71)

100%

Connolly Barracks Student Accommodation

Curragh Camp

2.51(3.19)

75%

NCO's Mess – East

Curragh Camp

2.1(2.67)

80%

Dining Complex/NCO's Mess West

Curragh Camp

3.6(4.57)

60%

Men's Dining Hall, Collins Barracks

Cork

1.73(2.20)

100%

NCO's Mess, Collins Barracks

Cork

1.35(1.71)

100%

New Storage Facility, Collins Barracks

Cork

2.62(3.33)

92%

Gymnasium/Sports Hall, Collins Barracks

Cork

2.1(2.67)

65%

P and Q Block, Cathal Brugha Barracks (accommodation)

Dublin

0.76(0.97)

100%

Communications and Engineering Building, Cathal Brugha Barracks

Dublin

2.32(2.95)

100%

Estimated Consultancy Fees – full programme, (Architects, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, etc.)

4.7(5.97)

Total

44.82(56.91)

Question No. 17 answered with Question No. 7.
Question No. 18 answered with Question No. 8.
Question No. 19 answered with Question No. 7.
Question No. 20 answered with Question No. 6.

Michael Bell

Question:

21 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Defence the portion of Gormanston Military Camp, County Meath, of which he will dispose; if the sale of the property is for house building and development on a commercial basis; his proposals for the firing ranches at Ben Head; the way in which the airfield could be developed on a commercial basis and at the same time maintained as a firing range for the Air Corps and for infantry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21785/01]

As I indicated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 6 on 21 June 2001, I have decided to dispose of some land at Gormanston Aerodrome to fund equipment purchases for the Defence Forces. The precise area to be put on the market will be determined shortly but the military camp comprising approximately 57 acres will be retained. The modalities and timing of the sale are under consideration.

The future use of the lands being sold will be a matter for the purchaser in consultation with the local planning authority. It is not envisaged that the sale of the lands will affect the infantry firing range at Ben Head. However, the development of the current aerodrome lands may require the integration of the Air Corps firing range with the firing range at Ben Head. The provision of resources for civilian aviation purposes is primarily a matter for the Department of Public Enterprise.

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