Departmental Properties

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Ceisteanna (13)

Jonathan O'Brien

Ceist:

11Deputy Jonathan O’Brien asked the Minister for Defence the number of smaller properties identified as surplus to military requirements; if he will give details of those already disposed of and those being prepared for disposal; and the moneys received for each sale. [24523/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (5 píosaí cainte)

Deputy Alan Shatter

The Department of Defence's property portfolio is kept under review to ensure the most effective use of military resources having regard to the roles assigned by Government to the Defence Forces. The Department has been engaged in an ongoing programme of barracks consolidation since 1998 which has brought to 14 the number of barracks closed during that time. In addition, a number of smaller properties have been identified as surplus to military requirements. Some of these have already been disposed of, while more than 30 others are in the process of being prepared for disposal. These mainly consist of married quarters and Defence Forces Reserve premises.

The properties under this category disposed of since 2002 and the amounts received in each case are set out in the following table.

Year	Property	Purchaser	€
2002	2 properties, Bere Island & Ballincollig, Co Cork	private	€ 72,442
	Lands at Assumption Road,Cork	Cork Corporation	€1,524,743
	Old married Quarters Sarsfield Bks, Limerick	Limerick City Council	€ 987,601
	Property at Arbour Hill, Dublin 7	private	€ 18,792
	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare - 29 properties	private	€1,152,698
	Total 2002		€3,756,276
2003	Property at Three Castles, Co. Kilkenny	private	€ 3,500
	Property at Greenane, Kanturk, Co. Cork	Southern Health Board	€ 177,769
	Old married Quarters, Sarsfield Bks. Limerick	Limerick City Council	€ 174,272
	Portion land at Waterford Barracks	Waterford City Council	€ 661,534
	Orchard Pk, Curragh, Co. Kildare - 12 properties	private	€ 447,640
	Total 2003		€1,464,715
2004	Properties at Cobh, Co. Cork	private	€2,400,015
	Spike Island, Co. Cork.	Minister for Justice	€ 64,662
	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare - 3 properties	private	€ 119,229
	Total 2004		€2,583,906
2005	Property on Bere Island, Cork	private	€ 25,397
	Site at Killorglin, Co.Kerry	Kerry County Council	€ 11,947
	Property at Athlone, Co. Westmeath	private	€ 253,973
	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare - 3 properties	private	€ 139,486
	Total 2005		€ 430,803
2006	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare - 5 properties	private	€ 187,317
	Sale of water and sewage works at Knockalisheen Co Clare	Clare County Council	€ 26,324
	Arbour Hill Lands	Dept. of Justice, Equality & Law Reform	€3,174,345
	Portion of land at Sarsfield Bks, Limerick	private	€ 3,175
	Total 2006		€3,391,161
2007	Fort Camden, Crosshaven Co Cork	Cork County Council	€ 64,008
	2 properties at Ballincollig, Co. Cork	private	€ 88,177
	Ballincollig, Co. Cork	HSE South	€1,095,401
	McKee Park, Dublin 7	private	€ 122,824
	Property at Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan	Cavan County Council	€ 127,016
	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare	private	€ 120,000
	Total 2007		€1,617,426
2008	Property at Douglas Road, Cork	private	€2,510,266
	Property at Cahir, Co. Tipperary	private	€ 550,000
	Total 2008		€3,060,266
2009	Orchard Park, Curragh, Co. Kildare	private	€ 150,000
	Property at Cloughfin, Co. Donegal	private	€ 5,000
	3 sites at Renmore park	Galway City Council &Liam Mellowes hurling club	€ 250,316
	Property at Cloghore, Co. Donegal	private	€ 60,002
	Total 2009		€ 465,318
2010	Property at Athlone, Co. Westmeath	private	€ 2,721

2011	RDF premises Kanturk	Cork VEC	€ 5,000

	Overall Total		€16,777,592

Deputy Jonathan O’Brien

The Minister indicated there that some 30 smaller properties are being prepared for disposal. Does he have an estimate based on current market values, which I accept may not be achieved, of the approximate value of those properties?

Deputy Alan Shatter

I do not have that figure. The total sum realised from the sale of all properties, including barracks, is more than €84 million. The figure relating to smaller properties already disposed of, as set out in the table, is €16,777,592. In the current market it amounts to an artificial exercise to seek to put a value on the group of smaller properties earmarked for disposal. Some of them may have no market value at the present time. This issue will be dealt with incrementally by the Department in the appropriate fashion.

Deputy Jonathan O’Brien

I accept that some of these properties will not be considered for sale in the short term because the market does not support it. However, I presume some of them have an associated security cost in terms of their maintenance. Is there an ongoing cost analysis in respect of retaining these properties in the absence of any short-term plan for their sale? I assume some of them are married quarters, most of which, one would expect, are currently occupied. Will the Minister clarify that?

Deputy Alan Shatter

As I understand, there are no major security costs associated with the properties we are discussing. Some of them are married quarters which are now vacated. There are some married quarters that were supposed to have been vacated some years ago but have not been, for a variety of reasons. In the past, these matters have been the subject of Dáil questions. With regard to individual properties that are not utilised, if there are practical uses to which they can be put in the context of local communities, we will consider that constructively. There is no funding available within the Department to convert properties in any particular way, but if there are good ideas about vacant properties for which the Department has no use, they will be considered. The Department obviously has an interest in realising value from those properties because moneys realised are re-invested in resources for the Defence Forces. However, we are in a different financial climate from that which prevailed three or four years ago. Values are substantially less than they used to be. In dealing with individual properties, I and my officials are realistic about funding that may be realised from individual properties, depending on their condition and location. I encourage both Deputies in the House to pass on any good ideas they have about individual vacant properties that do not appear to be moving in any particular direction. When dealing with what are essentially residential properties, there is the possibility of their being put on the market and sold at a realistic price to provide accommodation, where that is appropriate.