Which Barracks Should Close Next? (Part 2)

[DeV]

My point in trying to make is that many of these facilities were not given away as people continue to claim. The Clancy Barracks example being the most obvious one. It was sold for €25.4million in 2003 by the DoD, Ballincollig the same year for €41million. Both sales were to private investors. So my point remains, should the state be competing with private investors on the open market with much deeper pockets to buy land from itself when it could be transferred for nothing for the common good? Yes of course the DF should look for something in return, land, investment etc, but it is the fault of DFHQ and/or DoD for not stipulating that in the contract for disposal.

As you state yourself, DoD received money in return for land for Clancy and Ballincollig. Could they have got more for them? Probably but they did receive payment

Rockbrae House is being gifted to Wicklow Co Co by DoD. It is surplus to DoD requirements? Yes
Are we in a housing crisis? Yes
Are we in a DF crisis? Yes

Should the DF receive some kind of reward for this transfer? Yes

[trellheim]

So another hobby-warrior who knows best for the DF

Personal abuse on this forum is not tolerated. You will not be warned again.

[Bravo20]

When the Department disposed of assets to the private sector they did get income from it, the examples you correctly gave were Clancy and Murphy's Barracks. I don't criticise the amount they got as it is unrealistic to expect the Department to get the full developed market value since someone else is going to clear the land and build the apartments. However when the Department disposed of property to another department, council or agency there does not seem to have been any payment for those assets. Examples are the aforementioned Rockbrae House, also McGee Barracks, Cavan and Monaghan Barracks. Even the Irish Steel site was handed over to the council not only for nothing but only after the Department had paid for the clean up.

Other departments cross charge each other when they use their services. I work for a government agency and we pay rent for our building to another government agency who owns the building. We also use the government payroll and IT shared services and are charged for them.

[ancientmariner]

When the Department disposed of assets to the private sector they did get income from it, the examples you correctly gave were Clancy and Murphy's Barracks. I don't criticise the amount they got as it is unrealistic to expect the Department to get the full developed market value since someone else is going to clear the land and build the apartments. However when the Department disposed of property to another department, council or agency there does not seem to have been any payment for those assets. Examples are the aforementioned Rockbrae House, also McGee Barracks, Cavan and Monaghan Barracks. Even the Irish Steel site was handed over to the council not only for nothing but only after the Department had paid for the clean up.

Other departments cross charge each other when they use their services. I work for a government agency and we pay rent for our building to another government agency who owns the building. We also use the government payroll and IT shared services and are charged for them.

Well put on all points. The fallout is a shrinkage of the footprint and overall flexibility of the PDF/RDF and a loss of it's recruitment hinterland. In it's time Munster and particularly Cork have lost around 5 Forts, 4 Barracks, all previously used in Defence, Training, and Stores depots. In the meantime the facilities required to take up the decolonised personnel and equipment proceeds at a conditional pace while their families become refugees or semi-abandoned.
When you look at the development of Portsmouth Base area, because of the two Aircraft Carriers and housing most of the Navy. They are making the Base self sufficient in Heat and Power with a 15mw gas powered 3-unit Plant, provided by EDINA an AngloIrish Company( based in Rockborough barracks Glounthane). They have dedicated berthage for all types of ships on 6k of quay walls and a range of drydocks. It all just means we need to make professional decisions and match demands with needs. By the way they have BAE doing some of the management of the facilities.