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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 3

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Property.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

143 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the disposal of military installations closed by his Department in 1998 has been completed; the cost of disposal, administration and security to date; the receipts of sales; the value of assets yet to be disposed of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19134/03]

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, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare, Ballincollig and Clancy Barracks, Dublin.

Some 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, was sold to Cork County Council for €973,889 for development in conjunction with IDA Ireland.

Castleblayney Military Post, Monaghan, comprising approximately ten acres, was sold to the North-Eastern Health Board for €761,843.

Seven acres at Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, were ceded free of charge to Naas Urban District Council, while a further 14 acres was sold to that authority for €8,888,167. The balance of the barracks lands – one acre – was sold to Kildare County Council for €380,921.

Magee Barracks, Kildare, comprising 65 acres, still remains to be sold. At present approximately fifteen 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.

Sales have yet to be completed in respect of Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, County Cork, and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. Agreement has been reached for the sale of approximately 91 acres of the total lands comprising 138 acres at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, to O'Flynn Construction Limited and a contract for sale has been signed. A contract for sale has also been signed for the sale of my Department's reversionary interest in 6.2 acres at the property. A further area comprising more than 27 acres at Murphy Barracks will be handed over to Cork County Council for community use. My Department has accepted an offer from Florence Properties Limited for the sale of Clancy Barracks, Dublin, comprising 13.65 acres approximately. It is hoped to have a contract of sale completed shortly. Revenue in respect of the sales at Murphy and Clancy Barracks, when completed, will be in excess of €65 million.

The cost of security, maintenance and other costs to-date in respect of those barracks identified for closure in 1998 but not yet disposed of is as follows:

Security

Maintenance andOther Costs

Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig

€1,053,817

€241,072*

Clancy Barracks, Dublin

€483,261#

€157,917

Magee Barracks, Kildare

€123,291

€15,677

*Includes costs relating to an integrated area action plan commissioned to provide for the future development of the property.
#In response to written Parliamentary Questions Nos. 62 and 63 on 12 December 2002 the figure for security for Clancy Barracks was erroneously given as €446,060 and should have read €322,651.
On military security duty allowances alone, it is estimated that savings to date amount to about €2.029 million in respect of the six barracks closed. In addition, there have been significant savings on utility costs, such as telephone, gas, and electricity charges at each of the evacuated barracks which would have amounted to approximately €326,000 in the case of Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig.
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