Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
824. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the total number of military installations closed or decommissioned throughout the country in the course of the past 20 years; the alternative use to which such installations have been put; the extent to which the Exchequer has benefitted from sale or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13374/14]
View answerMy Department has been engaged on an ongoing programme of barrack consolidation since 1998. This programme has brought to fourteen the number of barracks closed during that time. To date nine of these barracks - Clancy (Dublin), Castleblaney, Ballincollig, Fermoy, Naas, Monaghan, Cavan, Castlebar and a large portion of Longford - have been sold. In relation to the remaining barracks agreement has been reached for the sale of Lifford barracks to Donegal County Council. Discussions had also been ongoing for a considerable period of time with the Council in relation to the sale of Rockhill House, however at a recent meeting with officials of my Department the Council was not in a position to give a firm commitment to acquiring the property at this stage. It is proposed therefore to dispose of the property by public auction within the next couple of months.
Discussions are at an advanced stage in relation to the sale of the former barracks in Clonmel to South Tipperary County Council and I expect that the sale will be finalised over the coming weeks. The remaining part of Longford has been reserved for sale to the Office of Public Works for the local Garda Síochána.
Magee Barracks in Kildare and Columb Barracks in Mullingar remain the property of the Department of Defence. Columb Barracks is currently used by an Garda Síochána and the Customs Service for training purposes and a large part of the barracks has been licenced to Westmeath GAA Board for use as a potential centre of excellence. Discussions are at an advanced stage with the Board in relation to the possible lease of the whole facility and these discussions should be completed over the coming months.
In addition to the main barracks outlined above a number of other properties have also been identified as surplus to military requirements over the past twenty years. A large number of these have already been disposed of whilst others are in the process of being prepared for disposal. These mainly consist of married quarters, Reserve Defence Force (RDF) premises and training lands. An auction of ten former RDF properties in early December 2013 yielded approximately €1m. The total realised to-date in terms of sales of surplus property over the last twenty years is €106m approx.
