Barracks land to earn State less than €0.33m per acre

The State will get less than a €330,000 an acre for the military land disposed of as a result of the government decision to close six military barracks.

The decision to close the barracks and sell the land at Ballincollig, Fermoy, Castleblaney, Naas, Kildare and Islandbridge was made seven years ago.

According to the Department of Defence, the sale of some of this land so far has generated €80m, but €2.5m has been spent by the State in security, maintenance and other costs at the sites since the closures.

The 65 acres at McGee Barracks in Kildare, which despite being earmarked two years ago by the Government for social housing, remains undeveloped.

The Department said that the land is still the subject of what it calls "ongoing communication" with the Department of the Environment.