Upwards of 20 community groups and organisations, at present based in the former Columb Barracks buildings and property in Mullingar, were upset and dismayed in recent days, when emails or letters were received from the Property Management Branch of the Department of Defence, asking them to treat the correspondence as a notice to evacuate the former Army property by 8 January next.
Upwards of 500 people involved with the various community and voluntary groups, and many of them young people, are at present daily using the Barracks facilities, like Youth Work Ireland (Midlands) EYE project, the award- winning Olympic Boxing Club, Mullingar Wheelers, the Adult Education project, Westmeath GAA, the Sub Aqua Club, Tidy Towns, Order of Malta, the UN Vets Post 20, Mullingar Men’s Shed and various others.
Several of them, like the EYE project, deal with upwards of 250 young people a week, and the Barracks, thanks to the major financial investment of Youthwork Ireland Midlands, is now a hub for their highly successful music tuition and skills programme, reaching out to thousands of young people in schools all over Westmeath.
Tracey Moore, Service Manager with Youthwork Ireland confirmed that their organisation had made a “huge investment” in the EYE projects, and these were very much a success.
Joan O’Connor, Co-Ordinator of the Mullingar Eye Project told Topic that Columb Barracks had been their home for more than six years, after a nomadic existence before, and had been extremely successful. “If we had to leave there in January, it would be a disaster for us, and for Mullingar and Westmeath,” she said. “The Barracks has shown what it is capable of providing, and various groups like the boxing club people, the GAA and others have invested a lot. The buildings which have been occupied by the tenants are being well looked after, whereas vacant buildings have deteriorated since the closure,” she pointed out.
“We have been allowed to grow organically here, and it has been tremendous for us,” she said. “It would be a huge blow if we had to leave.”
Representatives of the UN Vets (Post 20) and other organisations told Topic similar stories, and said they were not sure what was happening, but intended to do everything possible to remain in situ under the new arrangements. The different Mullingar groups, many of them voluntarily run, and some who’ve treated the Barracks as their home for years, and invested considerable money in providing facilities for their members, had been led to believe just a few weeks ago, that they were not under any threat of having to depart, after it became known that the Barracks was to be transferred to the Department of Housing, under the new Land Development Agency.
The new agency had identified the Columb Barracks property as a key site suitable for housing development – but it was felt the 14 acres of land attached (The Camp Field) would be the location for up to 250 houses, including social and affordable dwellings.
The letters, some of them only received on Monday of this week, caused shock and upset, pointing out that “The Barracks, which closed in 2012, is no longer required by the Department of Defence …. and the current financial and administrative burden resulting from retention of the Barracks can no longer be sustained, and plans for its disposal in the coming months are progressing. As you may be aware, the newly established Land Development Agency have recently identified Columb Barracks as a key site suitable for development.
In this context, I am requesting that you treat this letter as notice to evacuate, by the 8th January, 2019, the portion of the Barracks currently occupied by your organisation, and to undertake, as a priority, the necessary steps to secure alternative accommodation. When vacating the Barracks, you are requested to contact the Department to arrange a handover of the property.”
OVERRULED?
When some of the worried organisations and groups affected contacted local representatives, including Deputies Peter Burke and Robert Troy, a somewhat different picture emerged.
Deputy Burke said he and Cllr. Andrew Duncan were contacted by tenants about the letters and on Thursday last, he met Ministers Kehoe (Defence) and Murphy (Housing) “and this letter has been overruled by the letter below”, he said. “Columb Barracks will be developed in a sustainable manner with a social dividend for Mullingar, in consultation with all stakeholders and I’m fully committed to this,” he asserted.
A letter to him, sent by Defence Minister Paul Kehoe, subsequent to Deputy Burke’s representations, about the future use of the Barracks states: “As you are aware, on foot of a Government decision the full (Columb Barracks) site is due to be transferred into the Land Development Agency shortly, with the potential use for housing.
“Initial preparations are ongoing in order to facilitate this important transfer. As you know, the Government is of the view that the future development of the Barracks will include a sustainable social dividend to the community in consultation with the people of Mullingar as responded to you on the Dáil record recently by my colleague the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy. That said, and while the current occupants are aware that the future use of the site will have implications for them, the date of any such change is not fixed. My officials will continue to liaise with both the current occupants on their concerns and with Land Development Agency as consideration of the transfer proceeds.
“I trust this clarifies the situation and should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.”
Deputy Burke said this week that the 8 January notice no longer applied, and he intended to ensure that under the new arrangements, with a clear pathway for the future of clubs and organisations presently there will exist.
DIFFERING VIEWS
Deputy Robert Troy said this week that the protected buildings at Columb Barracks must continue to be made available to local voluntary groups, irrespective of what happens with regards to housing developments on the site.
“Without question, a new management structure needs to be put in place to ensure that the groups can continue to use the facilities in a sustainable way.
“However, doubts have now emerged as to whether these groups will be allowed to continue using the protected buildings at the barracks. This is not acceptable.
“To my mind, this apparent back-sliding tells its own story about how Fine Gael views the community and voluntary sector in Mullingar. Obviously and absolutely, we need housing on the site and I fully support this effort, but it is important that those who will live in these homes enjoy the same community facilities that are available to existing residents.
“Local politicians claiming that a recent letter was an administrative error need to up their game. A letter from an Assistant Principal Officer is a serious matter,” he said.
“It’s clear to me that the Department of Housing want these community and voluntary groups out, but this is a terrible example of short term thinking and Fianna Fáil will not support such a move. This needs to be reversed and these facilities need to be protected and nurtured for existing and future residents in Mullingar,” he concluded.
NOT SURE
It would appear from the letter received by Deputy Burke last Friday that the 8 January notice to “evacuate” no longer applies, but some of the tenants remain uneasy as to their actual future prospects, and wonder what Minister Kehoe means by “implications for them.”
“If it means a new rental system is needed, and better regulation, that is one thing, but that isn’t at all clear at present,” one of the tenants’ representatives commented. “We are not sure what to think,” he said.
