Vol. 496 No. 4
126 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Defence if he has satisfied himself at the standards of accommodation available to personnel transferred from Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, to Collins Barracks, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22981/98]
I am satisfied that accommodation provided for personnel located at Collins Barracks, Cork, including those who recently transferred from Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, is satisfactory. Over the past three years works on modernising facilities at Collins Barracks, were completed at a cost of £3.1 million. Projects to the value of £300,000 are ongoing. Works undertaken in recent months to prepare accommodation for troops relocated from Murphy Barracks involved mainly electrical rewiring; installation of new windows; redecoration; and upgrading of heating systems.
A special provision of £6 million will be included in the 1999 Defence Estimates as the first step towards the application of proceeds expected from the sale of barracks to the improvement of Defence Forces' infrastructure and to meet costs associated with the relocation of personnel. It is anticipated that a number of new accommodation projects at Collins Barracks will be included.
