Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

I thank Deputy John Browne for affording me the opportunity to speak on this important issue and for sharing time. I acknowledge the presence of the Government Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, and thank him for the work he has done in the past. I also acknowledge the people from Columb Barracks in Mullingar and those who travelled from Clonmel and Cavan. I welcome them in a very special way and I respect the fact of each of them have travelled here today to support us in what we are trying to achieve.

I wish to support the motion opposing the proposed closure of a number of key Army barracks throughout the country and to condemn the Minister's refusal to avail of the opportunity to rule out the closure of any Army barracks, despite the massive boost to the local economy they generate in the towns in which they are based. With regard to Dún Uí Néill Barracks in County Cavan, I want to acknowledge the man who brought the barracks to that town in the first place, namely, the late, great Mr. John Wilson, a highly respected and respectable politician and public representative who worked very hard for many years. I can only imagine how he would feel if he were here to see this debate taking place and to see a Minister refusing to acknowledge the possible severity of the implications of these actions.

We are proud of both current and past members of our armed forces for the courage and respectability they have portrayed while abroad, and for their unwavering dedication to the people here at home. During times of trouble and strife in particular, the Army could always be relied upon to work hard on behalf of all the people.

If barracks were to be closed, I believe those who assert that no money would be saved and that the opposite could occur. When it comes to closing any facility, we have to learn from and remember our past mistakes, for example, when our sugar beet factories were closed down and we found out a short time later that they never should have been allowed to close and that there was no justification in closing them. Rather than closing the barracks, we should consider imaginative and creative ways of utilising them for further good purposes. One idea is the encouraging of the Reserve Defence Force to recruit more young people by utilising these barracks for training grounds and facilities.

I also wish to condemn wholeheartedly any proposed gradual closure of barracks through the reduction of the number of personnel stationed in them. The Government must ensure it maximises the use and effectiveness of the Defence Forces in a way that involves them in the communities where the barracks are based. Surely the Minister recognises that the closure of any Army barracks will tear the heart and soul out of the communities where they are based. Many small shops, pubs, restaurants and other businesses are highly dependent on the economic support the barracks and their personnel provide. I repeat that it will cost the Government more money if it goes ahead with closures as the knock-on effect to local businesses could result in forcing employees out of gainful employment and onto the ever-increasing social welfare queues.

Since the recent discussions on this subject have become public, families of Army and civil personnel are suffering greatly because of the uncertainty of what is proposed. I call on the Minister not to fudge this issue but to make clear statements of intent and stop hiding behind waffle and bluster.

I do not like referring to a Minister when he is not in the Chamber but I will do so as I am not to blame that he is not present. Last week, the Minister virtually sneered at me and a colleague of mine when we raised the issue of the closure of rural Garda stations. I can tell the Minister that comments he may have considered smart did not go down well with members of the Garda or the public in general. Obviously, people in rural Ireland were outraged by his glib response. Will he try to do tonight what he did last week, namely, place the blame for his actions at the feet of a former Member of this House? I emphasise he singled out one Member and he certainly did not show himself in a good light last week by attacking a former Member of Dáil Éireann.

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