Vol. 524 No. 5
108 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Defence the current status of the policy with regard to the disposal of army barracks; the amount of revenue already received; the army barracks involved; the anticipated revenue which will be received on the disposal of the remaining barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22956/00]
206 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the position in respect of the sale, lease, transfer or other arrangement with any body or agency in respect of the former Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare closed in 1998; the financial considerations proposed or entered into in each or any such case; if final agreement has been reached in respect of the future use of the barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23356/00]
208 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the position in respect of the various military installations closed in 1998; the total received following sale, leases or rents, accruing to the State in the meantime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23358/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 206 and 208 together.
The sale of six barracks identified as surplus to military requirements is being progressed. The barracks in question are located at Fermoy, Ballincollig, Naas, Kildare, Castleblayney and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. Five of the barracks have been vacated while the sixth, Clancy Barracks, will be vacated in the near future.
Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, is in the process of being sold to Cork County Council for economic development of the site in conjunction with the IDA. The agreed price is £767,000 and it is hoped that the formalities of this sale can be completed in the near future. The lands will be developed and marketed as a strategic industrial site to attract inward investment.
The former Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare, comprises an area of approximately 22 acres. I agreed to cede seven acres free of charge to Naas Urban District Council and to sell one acre to Kildare County Council, all for local community purposes. I have recently agreed to sell the remaining 14 acres, which are zoned for housing, to Naas UDC for £7 million. The legal formalities to give effect to these agreements have commenced.
In relation to Castleblayney, that property is in the process of being sold to the North Eastern Health Board for £600,000 and it is anticipated that sale contracts will be signed in the near future. Pending completion of the legal and finan cial formalities, a caretaker's agreement was completed and the former barracks was handed over to the health board earlier this year on foot of that agreement.
In relation to the aforementioned properties, where sales have been agreed, the sale formalities are in progress and on completion of those formalities the agreed amounts, totalling £8.367 million, will be realised by my Department.
A comprehensive integrated action area plan was commissioned from independent consultants to provide for the future development of the largest of the barracks concerned, Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig. That plan provides for a wide range of community, amenity, residential and commercial uses for the property. The development of the Murphy Barracks lands will be critical in the future overall development of the town of Ballincollig. My Department submitted the integrated plan to Cork County Council in April of this year, for consideration in the context of a variation to the existing Cork county development plan, and my officials recently met council officials to discuss various aspects of this matter.
Additional Information.The property will be put on the market following adoption of the integrated plan into the Cork county development plan. A letting arrangement is in place at the former barracks whereby a small area of the property has been made available to facilitate the development of an adjacent site. An agreed fee is payable by the developer of the adjacent site in respect of this arrangement.
In relation to the need for accommodation for refugees, the vacated Magee Barracks, Kildare, has been used to accommodate Kosovar refugees since May of last year. The barracks is now also providing accommodation for asylum seekers. In view of those needs, it has not been possible to arrange for the disposal of the property. However, this matter is being kept under review.
Clancy Barracks, Dublin, will be vacated in the near future when alternative accommodation becomes available. I expect the sale of the property should proceed in 2001.
The disposal of barracks is proceeding and it is expected that in excess of £50 million will be realised from the sale of the properties. The moneys raised will be used primarily for re-equipment and refurbishment within the Defence Forces.
I do not intend to close any further barracks.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Is the completion of the proposals for leases or sales of the installations to which he referred progressing? The one with which I am most familiar is Devoy Barracks in Naas.
We are in the process of finalising the sale agreement of Devoy Barracks in Naas, which I hope will be satisfactory from the point of view of the local community. We were able to address the questions raised by the local representatives.
The sale of the other barracks to which I referred is being progressed. I hope the sale of all of them will be completed, with the exception of Clancy Barracks, by the middle or the end of next year.
As three Members are offering and there is a limited time for dealing with these questions, I will take brief supplementaries from the three Members and a final reply from the Minister.
The Minister said the sale of three barracks will realise more than £8 million. He projected originally that the disposal of the five barracks would realise £50 million. Does he anticipate he will achieve that target figure following the sale of Magee Barracks and Clancy Barracks?
In view of the proposed closure of five barracks, has the Minister plans to expand the numbers at Dún Uí Mhaoiliosa Barracks, Renmore, Galway?
The delay in the sale of Magee Barracks in Kildare was agreed to make provision for asylum seekers. What is the position regarding its sale? Can the process be moved on to the next stage? I asked the Minister questions about that previously and I would be pleased if he would clarify the position.
With regard to Deputy Wall's question, I am anxious to have further discussions with the local community on the sale of Magee Barracks in Kildare. The Deputy put forward an earlier proposal that we could examine the disposal of the majority of the site and still be able to accommodate the Kosovars for whatever length of time that will be necessary. There can be ongoing discussions about that. It is an extremely valuable site that is centrally located. I look forward to being able to deal with it satisfactorily.
There are no major plans for the expansion of the barracks in Renmore in Galway, given that a considerable part of the new funds that have come into my Department were dedicated to the barracks in Cork and at the Curragh, the two barracks, in the main, designated for receiving numbers following the closure of the other barracks. Such accommodation is involving an extensive programme of building activity which is costing millions of pounds.
With regard to Deputy Finucane's question, I will revise the estimate upwards when the sale of all the barracks is complete, although I cannot estimate by what amount. The sale of Clancy, Magee and Ballincollig Barracks alone, without the sale of the others, will be more than capable of realising the original amount projected.
