€600k spent on maintaining empty barracks
Figures show the costs for four barracks in Munster and Connacht have built up since operations effectively ceased there two years ago.
The Department of Justice say the empty barracks are set to be used as community, educational or sporting facilities.
A parliamentary reply from the Justice Minister to Independent TD Clare Daly reveals the security, maintenance, and utility costs for the four army barracks, including:
- Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, Tipperary, cost €101,703 since March 2012. In the same period, €112,223 has been spent on utilities and maintenance works at the barracks. Agreement has been reached in principle for the sale of the Tipperary barracks, the department said;
- O’Neill’s Barracks in Cavan were closed at the same time and eventually sold last year to the county’s VEC. From its closure in March 2012 to its sale in early 2013, €62,453 was spent on security, €27,884 on utilities and €39,757 on maintenance works, the figures show;
- Columb Barracks still remain under the ownership of the Department of Defence. Despite having been closed over two years ago, to date €183,513 has been spent on security costs, €71,973 on utilities and around €15,000 on maintenance works. The midlands barracks are currently under lease to the Westmeath GAA board;
- In Mayo, Mitchell Barracks have cost €9,224 to keep secure, while €4,334 has gone on utilities and €2,783 on maintenance works. The West of Ireland barracks have been sold to Mayo County Council and the sale is expected to close in the coming months, the department said.
Alan Shatter, who resigned as defence minister last week, said uses were being made of the closed barracks.
“I am pleased to see that many of the former barracks will be used for community, educational and sporting purposes in the future,” said Mr Shatter.
Elsewhere, the army has seen a surge in female applicants following a campaign to boost gender balance in Defence Force numbers.
In March, there were 555 women out of 9,133 in the army. This amounts to 6%. However, after a recent recruitment campaign which ended in April, there were 755 female applicants, or 10.3% out of a total of 7,295 applicants, for the Permanent Defence Force and 320 female applicants, or 14.9% out of a total of 2,146 applicants, for the Reserve Defence Force.
The department said this followed a number of initiatives, including an adjustment of physical standards for female applicants, a new balanced composition between men and women on recruitment and selection boards as well as the appointment of a gender adviser in the forces.
