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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 5

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Property.

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

154 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the number of acres of land owned by the Army which has been sold off to private speculators, in view of the Government's expressed concern regarding the escalating price of land. [4403/03]

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, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare, Ballincollig and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. A total of 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, was sold to Cork County Council for €973,889 for development in conjunction with the IDA. Castleblayney Military Post, Monaghan, comprising approximately ten acres, was sold to the North Eastern Health Board for €761,843. There were seven acres at Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare ceded free of charge to Naas Urban District Council, while a further 14 acres was sold to that authority for €8,888,167. The balance of the barrack's lands – one acre – was sold to Kildare County Council for €380,921.

Magee Barracks, Kildare, comprising 65 acres, still remains to be sold. At present approximately 15 acres of the property are being used by the reception and integration agency of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to accommodate asylum seekers and a further site comprising one acre approximately is being used by Kildare County Council as a temporary halting site for 20 persons.

Sales have yet to be completed in respect of Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, County Cork and Clancy Barracks, Dublin. Agreement has been reached for the sale of approximately 91 acres of the total lands comprising 138 acres at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, to O'Flynn Construction Limited and it is hoped to close the sale shortly. A further area comprising more than 27 acres at Murphy Barracks will be handed over to Cork County Council for community use. My Department has accepted an offer from Florence Properties Limited for the sale of Clancy Barracks, Dublin, comprising 13.65 acres approximately. It is hoped to have a contract of sale completed shortly. Revenue in respect of the sales at Murphy and Clancy Barracks, when completed, will be in excess of €65 million.
The vast bulk of sales of property by my Department has been to local authorities, other public bodies or, in the case of married quarters, to residents. In addition to the foregoing properties, agreements have also been reached for the sale of the following. Some 6.39 acres, known as "Susan's Field", adjoining Collins Barracks, Cork, has been sold to Cork City Council for €1.523 million. Approximately 3.4 acres at Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick, was disposed of to Limerick City Council for €1.162 million. Legal formalities are being completed in respect of the sale of approximately 1.559 acres at Waterford Barracks to Waterford Corporation for €0.662 million. Ballyconnell Town Hall is being sold to Cavan County Council for €127,000, while 20 acres of the Curragh lands are being sold to Kildare County Council for €0.273 million, to assist with the construction of the Kildare by-pass. There are 100 married quarters at Orchard Park, Curragh, County Kildare and 12 quarters at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, being sold to residents. These sales are expected to realise €4 million approximately.
Approximately ten acres of land at Renmore, Galway are being sold to Galway City Council for €250,316 and 1.07 acres approximately at Arbour Hill is being transferred to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for a consideration of €3.174 million. Agreement has been reached for the sale of a site comprising approximately 0.931 acre, adjacent to my Department's FCA premises in Kanturk, County Cork, to the Southern Health Board for a consideration of €177,763 and it is expected that a contract will be signed shortly in this regard.
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