Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:110. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence his plans for the sale of lands at Magee Barracks in Kildare town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21738/15]
View answerTuesday, 9 June 2015
Questions (110)
Oral answers (11 contributions)
In 1998 the then Minister for Defence, Michael Smith, announced the closure of Magee Barracks at Kildare town. In so doing he brought to an end the history of the town as a garrison that had originally accommodated the British Army and, since the foundation of the State, members of the Irish Army. Thankfully, all staff and personnel were moved up the road to the Curragh Camp. At that time, however, recognising the importance of this 62-acre site to Kildare, he gave a firm commitment, subsequently endorsed by most of his successors, that ten acres of the barracks, or the value thereof, would be transferred for the benefit of the local community. Is the Minister going to honour that commitment?
In July 1998, the Government approved a programme for the evacuation and sale of six Army barracks considered no longer necessary for military requirements. Magee Barracks was one of the barracks identified for closure and disposal. On 1 July 2003 the Government decided the former Magee Barracks in Kildare town would be among the State lands released to Kildare County Council for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative. On foot of this Government decision, Kildare County Council prepared a local area plan for the site which encompassed a range of uses, including community use. Following discussions between the Department, Kildare County Council and the then Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and in accordance with the terms of the housing initiative, it was agreed that the entire site would be transferred to Kildare County Council. A final contract for transfer was issued to Kildare County Council in January 2009. Subsequently, however, the council advised the Department that it no longer wished to take possession of the property.
Officials from my Department recently met with the chief executive officer and an official from Kildare County Council. The discussions centred on a number of issues, including the Department’s future plans for Magee Barracks. It is proposed to dispose of the remaining circa 54 acres of the barracks by public auction later this year.
The local development plan for Kildare town for 2012 to 2018 has made provision for substantial community developments on the barracks site. Consequently, any buyer will be obliged to comply with these provisions, thereby ensuring that the local community will benefit directly from the sale.
The Department sought to transfer the entire site but Kildare County Council decided not to proceed with the proposal, which is fine. As a result of a local area plan, however, there will be a significant community value element to any future development at the site and it will be a matter for Kildare County Council to ensure this occurs.
We find ourselves in an interesting position. The acquisition by the Department of Education and Skills of two sites for the development of an Educate Together school and a Gaelscoil is a positive and welcome development. However, transfer to a local authority is not the same as transfer to a community. The specific written commitment was that ten acres of land at the site or the value thereof would be made available to the community. Moreover, I inquired of Kildare County Council about its refusal in 2009 to accept the site in its entirety and officials informed me that, having searched the county council's files, they can find no record to indicate that the land was offered to the council. I put it to the Minister that someone is being disingenuous in reporting to me on this particular issue. How are we to get to the bottom of the matter? A specific transfer to the community of ten acres of land or moneys to an equivalent value is required.
Is it not the case that the local authority represents the community?
We all represent the community.
I am not sure to which entity the Deputy proposes that the land be transferred. I was not the Minister for Defence in 2009 but I will restate the position to clarify the matter: "Following discussions between the Department, Kildare County Council and the then Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and in accordance with the terms of the housing initiative, it was agreed that the entire site would be transferred to Kildare County Council." I would be very surprised if the Department was making up that statement. I will request a copy of the minutes of the relevant meetings and forward it to the Deputy.
When the Department is disposing of Army barracks it always seeks, first and foremost, to transfer them to other agencies of the State, whether the Garda Síochána, the Department of Education and Skills or a local authority, or considers them for community use, for example, by local sports clubs. We have always tried to prioritise securing public value in the disposal of lands or assets, including barracks. The Department has done this on many occasions and the case in Kildare is not any different. I believe there has been a misunderstanding on the part of Kildare County Council or it has changed its mind in respect of its involvement in this matter. I will-----
I must interrupt to call Deputy Ó Fearghaíl. I ask Members to pay attention to the clock.
While I accept the Minister's goodwill in this matter, there is a dearth of community, sporting and other resources in County Kildare which could be addressed, at least in part, through the use of the ten acre site or the value thereof. If the property is to be sold, a methodology should be found to make the site or the value thereof available to the community. The use to which the remainder of the site is put is also of great importance given its central location in Kildare.
In the past two hours, senior officials in Kildare County Council have informed me that they have no record of the Department making it an offer of the lands in question. I am also informed by the elected representatives of the council that they were not consulted or informed at any stage in 2009 that the Department of Defence wanted to transfer the site of more than 62 acres gratis to the local authority. Someone, therefore, is wrong.
That is clearly the case. The local development plan for Kildare town designates certain use for the land in question.
That has nothing to do with the transfer of the land.
Clearly, Kildare County Council has been thinking about what this land would be used for. The issue as to whether people are now saying there were no conversations and no agreement to transfer the site is something about which we will have to go back and ask the officials involved as to who said what and when. I am not going to get into that with the Deputy now on the floor of the House. I would be very surprised if the official response I have to a parliamentary question was as inaccurate as the Deputy suggests it might be. That is unlikely to be the case, but we will certainly look into it.