I propose to take Questions Nos. 46, 49, 115, 116, 126 and 128 together.
On 15 July 1998, the Government 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, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare, Ballinollig and Clancy Barracks, Dublin.
The sale of 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, to Cork County Council, in conjunction with IDA Ireland, for €973,889 has been completed. In relation to Castleblayney, the sale of the property to the North Eastern Health Board for €761,843 has been completed.
The former Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, comprises an area of approximately 22 acres. The Minister for Defence agreed to cede seven acres, free of charge, to Naas Urban District Council and to sell one acre to Kildare County Council for €380,921, all for local community purposes. The Minister also agreed to sell the remaining 14 acres or thereabouts, which are zoned for housing, to Naas Urban District Council for €8,888,167. The sales have been completed.
Magee Barracks, Kildare, still remains to be sold. At present, approximately 15 acres of the property are being used by the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to accommodate asylum seekers and a further site comprising approximately one acre is being used by Kildare County Council as a temporary halting site for 20 persons.
Agreement has been reached for the sale of approximately 91 acres of the total lands comprising 138 acres at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, and it is hoped to close the sale shortly. Negotiations are continuing regarding the sale of the Department's reversionary leasehold interest in a further area of about six acres at the former Murphy Barracks. Approximately 27 acres of the barracks' lands will be handed over to Cork County Council for community use on completion of the sale. The Department accepted an offer in June 2002 for the sale of Clancy Barracks in Dublin. It is hoped to have a contract of sale completed shortly.
The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 set out the decision of Government to maintain a strength of 10,500 within the Permanent Defence Force. The transfer of military units between barracks may arise from time to time for various operational or other reasons. A decision was taken to decentralise a number of units to Kickham Barracks in Clonmel. The units which moved to Clonmel were the directorate of military police, directorate of reserve forces and HQ1 southern brigade, FCA. These three units comprise 23 personnel in all. The transfers took effect on 30 September-1 October 2002. The Minister has no plans to close any further barracks.
As regards the military post at Manorhamilton, this is the location of D Company, 19th Infantry Battalion, and is situated in the Old School House, which is the property of the Department of Defence. The current Permanent Defence Force strength attached to this unit is two NCOs and one private. As the Minister indicated in his reply to Question No. 135 on 22 October 2002, a military board, namely, the Reserve Defence Force review implementation board, was established to formulate a plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the special steering group on the reserve. The Minister for Defence established the steering group in 1998 to undertake a study of the reserve and the group reported to him in September 1999. In June this year, the Minister received the draft Reserve Defence Force review implementation board report from the Chief of Staff and that draft report is currently under examination.
The steering group report did propose an amalgamation of the 19th Infantry Battalion and the 24th Infantry Battalion. The military authorities have advised that the proposed amalgamation will provide an optimal environment for personnel in the relevant areas to partake actively in the new enhanced Reserve Defence Force envisaged both by the reserve steering group and by the recent military implementation board.
Additional informationI am advised that this proposed amalgamation will not affect the use of the current departmental premises in Manorhamilton. In addition to the foregoing properties, agreements have also been reached for the sale of the following: 3.0192 acres at Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick, to Limerick City Council for €1.162 million; 1.559 acres at Waterford Barracks to Waterford Corporation for €0.662 million; 20 acres of the Curragh lands to Kildare County Council for €0.273 million to assist with the construction of the Kildare bypass; married quarters at Orchard Park, Curragh, County Kildare, to residents, which will realise €3.8 approximately – to date €2.8 million has been received; three sites at Renmore, comprising approximately ten acres, to Galway City Council for €250,316; and 1.07 acres at Arbour Hill to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for €3.174 million.
Consideration is being given to the disposal of part of the lands at Gormanston Camp. However, it is intended that the military camp, comprising 58 acres, will be retained. A total of 6.39 acres, known as "Susan's field", adjoining Collins Barracks, Cork, has been sold to Cork Corporation for €1.523 million. 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.
The barracks reinvestment programme was initiated by the Minister for Defence 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. It was agreed that the proceeds from the sale of the barracks would be used to fund this reinvestment programme, which is centred mainly on the Curragh Camp and on Collins Barracks, Cork. The total cost of the programme, estimated to the end of 2002, is €68.75 million. The programme commenced in 1999 and the final projects will be placed in 2002.
Expenditure on the programme to date is as follows: 1999 –€3.6 million; 2000 –€10 million; 2001 –€38.7 million; 2002 – estimated €16.45 million; total – estimated €68.75 million. Details of expenditure, project costs and progress to date are shown in the following table:
Barracks Reinvestment Programme
|
Estimated Cost€m
|
Remarks
|
|
Swimming pool, gymnasium Curragh
|
8.1
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Technical clothing stores, Curragh
|
7
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Dining complex-NCOs' mess, west Curragh
|
4.3
|
completed
|
|
|
|
|
Single officers accomm., Connolly Barracks, Curragh
|
3.2
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Armoury, Collins Barracks, Cork
|
3.3
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
NCOs' mess, east Curragh
|
2.5
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Ordnance-transport school, Curragh
|
3.4
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Men's dining hall, Collins Barracks, Cork
|
2.1
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Transport tech stores, Curragh
|
2.4
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
New NCOs' mess, Cork
|
1.7
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Gymnasium-sports centre, Cork
|
2.7
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Workshops and stores, Connolly/Plunkett Barracks, Curragh
|
3.7
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Communications, engineering building, Cathal Brugha
|
2.9
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Upgrade accommodation blocks, Clarke Barracks, Curragh
|
1.5
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Upgrade accommodation blocks, Cathal Brugha Barracks
|
0.93
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
Accommodation block, McKee Barracks
|
1.9
|
Contract signed October 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Civil works, Coolmoney Camp (Works)
|
0.9
|
Contract signed September 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Accommodation blocks, Cathal Brugha Barracks
|
1.8
|
Contract signed September 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Accommodation blocks, Sarsfield Barracks
|
0.62
|
Contract signed October 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Cookhouse and dining hall, Renmore Barracks
|
3.6
|
Contract signed September 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Combined vehicle workshop, Curragh Camp
|
9
|
Contract signed January 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Upgrading of billets-huts, Coolmoney Camp
|
1.2
|
Tenders being evaluated
|
|
Total
|
68.75
|
|
