BY MARK McKELVEY
The Ministry of Defence have been accused of wanting its "pound of flesh" concerning the sale of St Lucia and Lisanelly army barracks in Omagh.
Speaking following a meeting with British Secretary of Defence Des Browne in London yesterday (Wednesday), Sinn Feín West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty, says it is clear that the MoD is attempting to sell both sites in Omagh and all other vacated military sites across the North at full market value even though it acquired most of these sites through mandatory vesting orders and little financial outlay.
According to Mr Doherty, the MoD has taken this stance due to a shortfall in its budget, and that the only way these military sites will be transferred to the Stormont Executive for public use is if the Prime Minister makes up the MoD financial deficit.
Mr Doherty said, "I had requested this meeting with Des Browne to put to him the growing demand that the vacated MoD sites at Lisanelly and St Lucia in Omagh to be transferred to the Six County Executive for the development of an educational village and other socio-economic regeneration projects.
"However, from the off Des Browne said that it was his intention to secure the maximum financial gain for the MoD from not only the sale of Lisanelly and St Lucia in Omagh but through the sale of all vacated military sites across the six counties to so as to finance the British Militaries "commitments at home and abroad."
"Given that most of the sites acquired by the MOD in the six counties were through mandatory vesting orders with minimum financial outlay involved it is clear that the MoD wants its pound of flesh.
"However, he did concede that the issue of Lisanelly and St Lucia is still on the desk of the British Prime Minister and if Gordon Browne can make up the shortfall in the MoD budget in some other way in order to facilitate transfer of these to the Executive then he would not be against it.
"Martin Mc Guinness has been lobbying Gordon Browne intensively on the Lisanelly and St Lucia issue and will continue to do so, and for the remainder of today and tomorrow I will be continuing with lobby meetings with key political figures with influence on these issues and we will keep the pressure up on the British government to deliver a successful outcome for not only the people of Omagh but for the people west of the Bann as a whole."
