Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues in welcoming Lieutenant General Clancy and his colleagues. I thank them for answering the questions put to them so far. We are under time constraints. Many of the questions I wanted to ask have already been asked. We have all been contacted by various groups, representative bodies and others. I join with colleagues in thanking Lieutenant General Clancy and his colleagues for the hospitality they have shown to us on our visits to various locations throughout the country. We look forward to visiting a number of others before the end of this year, hopefully.

On the closure of barracks, in March 2012, Dún Uí Néill Barracks in Cavan town was closed, along with barracks in Mullingar, which was referenced by Deputy Clarke, and Clonmel. This resulted in the redeployment of 500 personnel. At the time of these closures, the number of full-time personnel was 9,458; it is now approximately 8,000. Will the representatives clarify the exact number of active personnel within the Defence Forces at present? Do they have a view on the impact of barrack closures on recruitment and retention? I welcome the recommendation by the Commission on the Defence Forces that the Defence Forces strength be increased to 11,500 by 2028. Increasing the Defence Forces to that number will require additional accommodation and facilities, which Lieutenant General Clancy alluded to in his contribution. Dún Uí Néill Barracks, Cavan, was the only purpose-built barracks in the history of the State and was the most modern in Europe at the time, with accommodation for more than 200 personnel, equipment and a helicopter base. Would it not be an ideal barracks to reopen, given its location at a point midway between Finner Camp in County Donegal in the north west and Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, on the east coast?

On ministerial reviews that are carried out before personnel are deployed overseas, I recall being at one in Cavan in the late 1990s, which then Minister for Defence, Michael Smith, presided over. It has already been referred to by my colleague, Senator Clonan. That was a huge spectacle and had a massive impact on the community of Cavan. People travelled from way outside the hinterland of Cavan to attend that parade. As a result, there was a spike in recruitment to the Defence Forces, the Army in particular. Would the Defence Forces give consideration to conducting such reviews in future in areas where army barracks are not located? Could that be considered by the Defence Forces or, through them, by the Minister or Department?

Finally, since its closure in 2012, I have raised in the Seanad on numerous occasions the possibility of reopening Dún Uí Néill Barracks. However, I did not get very positive responses. I am glad that the mindset may be changing. In recent replies, in 2022 from the then Minister, Deputy Coveney, and a number of weeks ago in another reply to my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, the present Minister and Tánaiste left open the door to the possibility of the barracks reopening. My final question to the lieutenant general is whether he would support such a move.