'Gifting' Of Military Sites Agreed



Arrangements for passing on the ownership of former military sites identified under the Hillsborough Agreement to the NI Executive have been confirmed.



The 'gifting' deal, reached by Stormont First Minister, Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, provided for the gifting of a number of sites to either the Department of Education or the First & Deputy First Ministers Office (OFMDFM), mainly for sale in order to raise proceeds for exceptional resource pressures. 




DUP Leader Peter Robinson commented: "The St Patrick's barracks site in Ballymena will transfer to OFMDFM, as will a portion of the St Lucia base in Omagh.



"OFMDFM will market these sites for sale as soon as possible. The Shackleton base at Ballykelly will be the first to be sold, going on to the market immediately. The proceeds from this sale will go straight to the Executive. The remaining sites will be put up for sale as soon as possible."



Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness added: "This is further progress on the issues identified at Hillsborough. The former military site in Omagh is being gifted explicitly for use as a new multi-school educational campus, comprising the entire Lisanelly base in Omagh and the adjacent floodplain at the St Lucia base.

"This land will be transferred directly to the Department of Education."

(JG)