Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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To date, the Defence Forces have been able to honour all asks by the Government, at home or overseas. The Deputy referred to operations abroad and perhaps assisting abroad where there is a catastrophe. At present, where we are on peacekeeping duties we reach out into the communities.

The Deputy also referred to the reorganisation and the number of engineers. We reduced from three brigades to two brigades but there was no reduction in the number of engineers. The key aspects of the reorganisation included consolidating understrength units into a smaller number of full strength units and a reduction in the number of headquarters and the associated redeployment of personnel from administrative and support functions to operational units.

With regard to Brexit, when the White Paper on Defence was published, it was not even born. There have been a large number of changes since then. I will not pre-empt what will happen next week. The defence organisations are engaged in prudent planning in response to Brexit. This includes active participation in the whole-of-Government framework developed in response to Brexit. Primary responsibility for the internal security of the State rests with the Department of Justice and Equality, my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners. There is ongoing close liaison between An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces regarding security matters, with regular co-ordination and liaison meetings.

The Deputy raised fisheries protection. There are implications for increased monitoring, patrolling and inspecting of Irish controlled waters. This will depend on the outcome when the UK departs. It will be a matter for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority in association with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. As I stated earlier, a senior official at assistant secretary level in the Department is leading the input into the deliberations of the framework established throughout the Government. The management board also maintains oversight of all Brexit-related matters in the Department.

Avoiding a hard border on the island is fundamental to the draft Brexit agreement reached between the EU and UK Government. There are no plans to introduce a new Army barracks or Defence Forces base in the greater Border region. However, the Defence Forces keep operational plans under constant review. I am satisfied the operational readiness and deployability of the Defence Forces is such that they can respond effectively to whatever is required by the State or the Government. The White Paper was originally put together in 2015 and the security situation is a fundamental part of the White Paper review. In my opening statement I referred to reviewing the security situation of the State. If Senator Ned O'Sullivan reads what I said about the objectives of the White Paper, that is the meat. That is my vision. It is the Government's vision of where we see the Defence Forces over the next ten years. That is why, as I stated earlier, it is important that we review the White Paper.

The strategy statement sets that out very clearly.

Morale is very important within any organisation, be it a political party, the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, a Department or the HSE. However, leadership is as important as morale. That is my leadership and that of military management and civil management. I have an excellent team around me, military and civil. It is very important that we show leadership. Of course we have our challenges but every organisation has its challenges.

On the role of the Reserve, I have stated on numerous occasions that it is an important platform for the organisation as a whole and that it plays a very important role within the organisation. Numbers have been dwindling because younger people have more opportunities now than they did 20 or 30 years ago. The Government has provided the funding for full training days for the reserves. There is no lack of funding for their training days. They are well funded.

Over the past 25 years, my Department has disposed of a range of properties deemed surplus to military requirements. Since 1998, under the barracks consolidation programme, the sale has been completed of 12 of the 14 barracks closed under this programme. They were Fermoy, Castleblayney, Naas, Ballincollig, Clancy Barracks in Dublin, Monaghan, Longford, Cavan - they were new barracks - Letterkenny, Kildare, Clonmel and Lifford. The sale of Castlebar barracks to Mayo County Council will be completed in the near future.

The newly established Land Development Agency, LDA, has identified Columb barracks in Mullingar, which closed in 2012, as a viable solution to the provision of residential units, and it will form a significant contribution to the 3,000 units to be targeted by the agency in this first tranche of the provision. Project management branch has, on my instruction, continued to liaise with the relevant officials in the LDA and the transfer of the site to the agency is a priority, subject to terms and conditions that are yet to be agreed.

Currently, €37 million worth of capital projects are at various stages, from design to tender to construction. These include the replacement of the major secure storage facility, phases 2 and 3, in the Defence Forces training centre, €10.2 million; the construction of new gymnasiums in Sarsfield barracks in Limerick and Stephen's barracks in Kilkenny, €6 million; locker block refurbishment in Cathal Brugha barracks, Dublin, €3.8 million; upgrade and refurbishment works at the cook house and dining hall in Custume barracks, Athlone, €4.1 million, which is under construction at the moment; the upgrade of accommodation blocks in Pearse barracks in the Curragh, €3.1 million; upgrade and refurbishing works in the apprentice hostel in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, €3.3 million; the upgrade of the oil wharf and installation of fire protection and detection and a fire-fighting system in the naval base on Haulbowline, €2.4 million; the upgrade of one and two block accommodation facilities in Cathal Brugha barracks, €2.4 million; and the upgrade of seven block accommodation facilities in Connolly barracks at the Defence Forces training centre, €2.1 million.

The White Paper project is also under way to put in place a five-year plan for the programme. The list of works identified as part of the project will be prioritised for delivery based on military needs and will be updated annually to form the basis of the selection of capital projects under the programme into the near future, and new start projects to be commenced in 2020 will be informed by the projects.