TD slams 'Grab All Association' over Westmeath barracks lease

Independent Dublin North TD Clare Daly has called on the Department of Defence to publish how much the Westmeath GAA County Board is proposing to pay to secure the lease on the former Columb Barracks in Mullingar.

The former Socialist Party TD also sparked controversy when she referred to the GAA as “The Grab All Association”.

Her calls came as the Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence Paul Kehoe confirmed that the department had reached an agreement in principle with Westmeath County Board on a long-term lease by the board for the whole of the barracks.

It follows the signing of a one-year lease with the board for use of part of the former barracks as a centre of excellence for the development of Gaelic Games in the county.

The issue arose after Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence in the Dail if he would seek proposals to put the premises to active use in association with community groups and other State agencies.

In particular, she asked if the barracks could be raised as a national emergency training centre.

She said the local Reserve Defence Force unit is renting premises at a cost to the Department of Defence of approximately €30,000, Westmeath Civil Defence operates from leaky prefabs in another area and the Garda uses the shooting range.

“Will the Minister of State consider developing the site as a national emergency training centre? All of the State’s organisations could use it, the local Reserve Defence Force unit could act as its staff, training could be undertaken during the summer, a crash training centre of excellence could be developed there and it could be used for water rescue training as well as rail disaster training, given its proximity to a disused railway. There is also an airfield. I would like the Minister of State to consider this suggestion as a better use of funds,” she said.

Deputy Kehoe outlined that not a single department or other public body expressed an interested in Columb Barracks, although, he said, as well as the former barracks are being used for training purposes by the Garda and the Revenue Commissioners’ specialist dog unit.

It prompted Deputy Daly to reply: “I am aware that the GAA is using a small part of it. As Deputy Wallace just called it, it is really the “Grab All Association”.

“If the Minister of State is telling me that it will take over such an enormous site, I will be shocked. I would love to know what the GAA is paying for it. The Department’s remit covers a national emergency training centre and is spending tens of thousands of euro on renting out facilities that could be utilised in that respect. It is also spending €180,000 on security for the site.”

However, Minister Kehoe criticised the depiction of the GAA as 'the Grab All Association”

“I appreciate the work the GAA has done in my county, as I am sure is the case for every Deputy. I am involved in the GAA and have never referred to it as the “Grab All Association,” he said.