Minister: ‘no blame’ over barracks study

Confusion over who will ultimately be deciding the future of Columb Barracks is what appears to be behind a claim by Defence Minister Simon Coveney in Dáil Éireann last week that a local group that was to prepare a feasibility study on the community use of the barracks has not yet presented its findings to the Department of Defence.

“For all sorts of reasons, a report from that group has not been furnished to the department. This is not about blaming anybody,” Minister Coveney said as he responded to calls by Sinn Féin deputy Sorca Clarke that the state consider using the site as the national headquarters of the Army Reserve.

A spokesperson for the group examining options for the future of the barracks – the Columb Barracks Restoration and Regeneration Committee (CBRRC) – has confirmed that the minister is correct in asserting that his department had not received their report – but stated that the study has been sent to the Land Development Agency.

“We got a letter about a year ago stating that the Land Development Agency is now the owner,” said Jack O’Sullivan, adding that there seemed to be some confusion over what body now has responsibility for the barracks.

Sorca Clarke

The barracks was raised for discussion by Deputy Sorca Clarke, who said that although it ceased to be permanently occupied by the Defence Forces in 2012, the site has “enormous potential” but it was falling into disrepair.

“It is now time to re-envisage the future of Columb Barracks in Mullingar as a national headquarters for the Reserve Defence Force,” she said.

Minister Coveney made it clear that this was an unlikely outcome: “It is the assessment of the department that it is no longer required for military purposes,” Minister Coveney responded, going on to add that the current financial and administrative burden resulting from its retention cannot be sustained forever.

“For this reason, my officials have been proceeding with the disposal of the barracks in line with government policy. They have been working with the new Land Development Agency on that process,” he stated, adding that the whole point of the Land Development Agency is to try to maximise for the state the potential of strategic sites such as this one.

Deputy Clarke countered that the barracks could meet the need of the Reserve Defence Force while also meeting other needs, but the minister said that since the closure in 2012, his department has explored a number of avenues to try to secure its long-term future for the benefit of the local community which is, ultimately, what every asset should be about.

However, he continued, departments and other public bodies, including Westmeath County Council, had been invited to declare an interest in acquiring the property but no interest was expressed from any of these bodies.

Development Agency

The minister said the Land Development Agency was tasked with developing the barracks site and his department has actively engaged with it on that.

“We will continue to work the best we can but it is important that I do not raise expectations around the military use of the barracks in the future because that may not be the direction of travel,” he stressed.

The minister did agree that the Reserve Defence Force is under strength but hoped the country would be able to change that in the months ahead.