Costs warning over army and defence HQ moves

The decentralisation of the army and defence headquarters to separate sites in Kildare could cost taxpayers millions of extra euro, it was claimed today.

The Department of Defence is set to relocate to a site owned by Kildare County Council in Newbridge, while the Defence Forces headquarters is moving to the Curragh.

Fine Gael defence spokesman Billy Timmins TD said the cost of acquiring the 4.3- acre site in Newbridge could run into millions, even though there were 766 acres available for use in the nearby Curragh camp.

“Spending millions on a site for decentralisation, when hundreds of acres are already available in the same area, just shows how little thought has been put into this decentralisation process,” he said.

The decentralisation decision was announced two years ago by the then minister for finance and Kildare TD Charlie McCreevy.

Around 250 staff from the Department of Defence are due to move to Newbridge, along with the military chiefs of staff, while another 250 army personnel will move to the new Defence Forces HQ in the Curragh.

Mr Timmins said the defence forces were entitled to the exclusive use of the lands at the Curragh under the 1961 Kildare Act.

“The use of up to five acres of Curragh Camp lands for the Department of Defence would still leave the defence forces with 766 acres, and would not in any way compromise their ability to engage in training operations,” he said.

“It could also lead to greater, more productive liaison between the Department of Defence and the defence forces if both were located at the Curragh.”

Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea, in a reply to a Dáil question by Mr Timmins, said the Office of Public Works has assessed a total of 12 sites in Newbridge as potential sites for the Department of Defence headquarters.

“A local authority-owned site, comprising around 4.3 acres, had been identified as a likely solution and it is currently being assessed. When all aspects, including access and security, have been fully evaluated, a final decision will be made regarding the acquisition of the site,” he said.

The site is located beside the railway station in Newbridge, which will be convenient for employees travelling by train from Dublin. However, it is currently used by a local soccer club, Newbridge Town, who will have to be given a new site by the council.

A Department of Defence spokesman said the decision to decentralise the defence forces and the Department of Defence to the Curragh and Newbridge had been made by Mr McCreevy and the Government two years ago.

“We are just fulfilling that decision as we are obliged to do,” he said.