Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The position is unchanged since I previously addressed this issue in reply to Question No. 111 of 4 February 2009. Some 20 containerised accommodation units have been provided for temporary accommodation for third level students at Cathal Brugha Barracks. These units consist of en suite accommodation and are fully furnished and heated. The military authorities advise that the units are compliant with all relevant regulations and are similar to units used for accommodating troops on some missions overseas. The accommodation in question is currently occupied by officers of the Defence Forces who are attending college on a full-time basis in the Dublin area. It is only used during term-time, with the relevant officers returning to their home bases during holiday periods. These officers are not charged for this accommodation.

The officers were previously accommodated at the Curragh and Gormanstown Camps and transported by bus by the military to college in Dublin. They found that this arrangement did not allow them to participate fully in all college activities and asked to be accommodated closer to college. The most immediate way of providing this accommodation was through the provision of temporary containerised accommodation units.

The requirement for more permanent living-in accommodation at Cathal Brugha Barracks is being considered as part of overall Defence Force requirements. A study into single living-in accommodation across all of the Defence Forces, with a view to defining the major priority areas for provision and refurbishment, is ongoing. Given that the current requirement at Cathal Brugha Barracks arises as a result of university attendance, it may be the case that there will actually be no requirement for additional accommodation at the barracks in the long term. This must be factored into our consideration, particularly in light of the cost of constructing permanent accommodation blocks.

The provision of any accommodation required will be undertaken in the context of the overall Defence Force infrastructure development programme. This will be implemented as part of the ongoing capital programme in my Department. Projects in this programme are prioritised in respect of addressing the Defence Forces' operational requirements, taking into account the annual capital allocation for the ongoing building programme. In light of the current set of priorities, it is unlikely that this project will commence during the current year. Should the current allocation change, the building programme will be reviewed and projects in the programme will be prioritised on a needs basis.

See this speech in context