Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand this is fairly new. We might come back to it. The second issue I wish to raise with the Minister of State I have raised with him in the Chamber. It concerns the state of barracks, specifically the accommodation and the bedding and equipment within barracks. I am looking under subhead A12. I see the 2018 Estimate provides for a slight increase in expenditure on this. I wish to raise with the Minister of State the matter of Cathal Brugha Barracks in particular. I was contacted very recently about this. A career course was held in the barracks for, I think, corporal rank, and complaints came through concerning the bedding and the mattresses not being fit to sleep on. When I addressed the Minister of State on this issue in the Chamber, I asked that a review of the accommodation across the board be considered. I had reports back from Cathal Brugha Barracks that there were ripped mattresses and stained bedding that were not fit to be slept on and that some of those participating in the career course did not sleep in the barracks because of the state of the accommodation and stayed outside the barracks instead. I doubt this is confined to Cathal Brugha Barracks, but there probably is a need to do an inventory check and a check of the accommodation to see what state the bedding and mattresses are in. These are basic enough things. They may seem minor in the overall context of the Defence Forces but these are the day-to-day things those serving must deal with. Some small changes would make a big difference in this regard. I therefore welcome the projected increase in spending on this area for this year but I ask the Minister of State to make a specific effort regarding the accommodation and bedding under subhead A12.