Vol. 553 No. 3
3 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Defence the number of barrack closures completed during the lifetime of the previous Government; and if he will give a commitment that no further barrack closures will occur during his term as Minister. [14043/02]
44 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the position in regard to the disposal of various military barracks closed in 1998; if full and final agreement has been reached in regard to future use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14068/02]
45 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which a full and final agreement has been reached in regard to the future use of the former Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14069/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3, 44 and 45 together.
On 15 July 1998, the Government 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, Ballincollig, Naas, Kildare, Castleblayney and include Clancy Barracks, Dublin. The sale of 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, to Cork County Council in conjunction with the IDA for €973,889 has been completed. The sale to the North-Eastern Health Board of the property at Castleblaney for €761,843 has been completed also.
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 for €380,921, all for local community purposes. I also agreed to sell the remaining 14 acres or thereabouts, which are zoned for housing, to Naas UDC for €8,888,167. The legal formalities to give effect to these agreements are progressing and I expect them to be completed very shortly.
The integrated action area plan, commissioned from independent consultants to provide for the future development of the former Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, has been adopted by Cork County Council. Lisneys were appointed as selling agents and the property was advertised for sale by public tender. The closing date for receipt of tenders was 7 June 2002 and the tenders for the property are under consideration. A decision will be made in the near future.
In relation to the need for accommodation, the vacated Magee Barracks, Kildare, is now providing that for asylum seekers. I also agreed to provide about one acre to the local authority for a temporary halting site for 20 persons for a period of one year. Kildare County Council has requested that the term be extended and the matter is being examined in my Department at present. In relation to the remainder of this site, I am arranging early discussions with all the interested parties including the local authority. My Department has accepted an offer for the sale of Clancy Barracks, Dublin, but a contract of sale has not, as yet, been completed. I have no plans to close any further barracks.
I welcome the Minister back to his old portfolio at An Roinn Cosanta. Mark Twain's remark is appropriate in that rumours of the Minister's demise were grossly exaggerated. We are glad to see the Minister back in his old area of responsibility.
The Minister has already committed himself to no further closures of Army barracks while he is at the Department, but have any recommendations of further closures been made that he has considered and rejected? What has happened to the staff that were assigned to the barracks? Have they been transferred to other parts of the country or to other areas in the same counties? What has happened to the staff at Castleblayney? Are they still in Monaghan? The Minister said that some have probably retired or made redundant, but have the rest stayed in the Border area?
Six barracks have been closed and two have yet to be sold. Can the Minister indicate the total savings made as a result of these closures, apart from the sale price?
I have not received any proposals in connection with the possibility of future closures from any source, but if Deputy McGinley were interested in making a few, I would certainly be prepared to listen. Such matters are not on the agenda.
In the case of Castleblayney, there were some retirements and transfers to Dundalk and Monaghan. The same applied in Fermoy from where a small number were transferred to Killworth and the vast majority to Collins Barracks in Cork. Virtually all staff at Ballincollig were transferred to Collins Barracks and staff from Naas went primarily to the Curragh Camp, as did those from Magee Barracks. The staff of Clancy Barracks went to the Curragh Camp and to Cathal Brugha Barracks and McKee Barracks here in Dublin. All the staff were accommodated as close as possible to their new installation. The overall saving, apart from the sale price, in terms of military security allowances is approximately €1.5 million. There are considerable savings in terms of general services such as electricity, telephones and general maintenance. I do not have an exact figure but day-to-day savings are roughly between €2 million and €3 million, apart from the value of the sales to the Department in terms of enhancing my ability to purchase new equipment.
Will the Minister confirm that the savings made and the money accruing from the sales of the bases will go to the Department and be used to purchase new and modern equipment for the Defence Forces?
Yes, in all cases. When the decision was taken, it was envisaged that it would take a few years to complete the sales and the Department of Finance agreed to provide funds up front in anticipation of drawing down the funds which would accrue from the sales. In other words, funds were available to us before the sales took place on foot of that expectation.
