Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he believe that, following this reorganisation, a lot of FCA accommodation and property will be underutilised or not utilised at all in certain parts of the country? I am aware that in certain places, FCA property is rented but in other cases the Department owns it. Has the Minister examined this aspect and, if so, does he have any plans to deal with it? If any property is sold off, I urge the Minister to use the accrued funds for the Defence Forces. If such property is not sold, it should remain in public ownership for use by the local community. The Minister spoke earlier about the OPW obtaining a site in Newbridge for the decentralisation of civilian staff in the Department of Defence. If we still had a section of the old McGee Barracks in Kildare it might have been useful for such a project.

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