A €5M renovation plan to upgrade Collins Barracks in Co. Cork has been approved by the government.
The refurbishment project will provide accommodation for over 20 officers and will complement a recently completed accommodation block for military personnel located at the barracks.
Located on the Old Youghal Road in the north side of Cork, and constructed in the early 19th century, the barracks originally served as a British military base.
Tánaiste Simon Harris has confirmed the Department of Defence has signed the contractThey were handed over to the Irish military following the War of Independence.
The existing accommodation block, which is Block 1, was constructed in 1806 and substantially repaired following a fire in 1922.
However “substantial refurbishment is now required, consisting of both internal and external building fabric upgrades” the government confirmed in a statement.
“Moreover, the block is listed as a building of regional importance in the architectural, historical and social categories on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage,” they add.
“The scope of works will, therefore, include extensive external and internal works, all of which will ensure that the structure and fabric of the building is preserved.”
In addition, the newly refurbished building will also provide a modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation block with an improved energy performance, they explained.
Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed that the Department of Defence has signed a contract for the required upgrade, at a cost of almost €5 million.
“This development is further evidence of the government’s commitment to invest in modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation for our military personnel in all of our installations,” he said.
“That is reflected in an allocation for capital projects in 2025 of €50 million which, when taken together with the Defence Forces’ building maintenance and delegated minor projects, means that the overall building programme allocation stands at €62.5 million for this year.”
The contractor for the project has been confirmed as Vision Contract Ltd with the total contract valued at €4,948,181.77.