Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Dec 2002

Vol. 558 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Properties.

Bernard Allen

Question:

165 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Defence if he will identify by location, acreage and other details, the State properties in his Department which are being considered for sale or are available for sale at present. [24329/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

The Government, on 15 July 1998, approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks considered surplus to military requirements. The barracks in question are located at Fermoy, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare, Ballincollig and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. Some 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, Castleblayney Military Post, comprising approximately ten acres and Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, comprising an area of approximately 22 acres have been sold.

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 in relation to the sale of the Department's reversionary leasehold interest in a further area of circa 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. My Department has accepted an offer for the sale of Clancy Barracks, Dublin, comprising 13.65 acres approximately. It is hoped to have a contract of sale completed shortly. The total value of these disposals is €77,004,820. Magee Barracks, Kildare, comprising approximately 65 acres, still remains to be sold. Currently, 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 one acre approximately is being used by Kildare County Council as a temporary halting site for 20 persons.

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; Ballyconnell Town Hall to Cavan County Council for €127,000; 20 acres of the Curragh lands to Kildare County Council for €0.273 million, to assist with the construction of the Kildare bypass; 100 married quarters at Orchard Park, Curragh, County Kildare and 12 quarters at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, to residents, which will realise €3.8 million approximately. To date €2.8 million has been received; approximately ten acres of land at Renmore, Galway, are being sold to Galway City Council for €250,316; 1.07 acres approximately at Arbour Hill are being transferred to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for €3.174 million; 6.39 acres, known as Susan's Field, adjoining Collins Barracks, Cork, have been sold to Cork City Council for €1.523 million; consideration is being given to the disposal of part of the lands at Gormanston Camp. The area to be disposed of has yet to be decided.

A number of smaller surplus properties are also being sold to various individuals and local authorities etc. In addition to the foregoing properties which are surplus to requirements and in the context of the White Paper on Defence and the effective management of resources, any additional properties considered surplus to requirements are being identified for disposal. This process is ongoing.