Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

— recognises that, through supporting local businesses and services, Army barracks are an integral part of the local economy in the towns in which they are based;

— affirms and supports the crucial role that soldiers and their families play in the fabric of the local communities where they are stationed;

— further recognises that towns throughout the country are under immense pressure due to the current economic climate and need to be supported;

— acknowledges the consolidation of Army barracks in recent years due to the changed security situation in Northern Ireland and the consequent reinvestment of funds to fully modernise the Defence Forces;

— further acknowledges investment into the infrastructure of Army barracks across Ireland in recent years;

— confirms that as a result of previous consolidation and investment no further Army barrack closures are necessary;

— notes with deep concern reports of the imminent closure of a number of barracks across Ireland such as the Dún Uí Néill Barracks, Cavan, Columb Barracks, Mullingar, Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny and the Military Barracks, Castlebar;

— condemns the Minister for Defence's refusal to rule out the closure of any Army barracks throughout the country, regardless of its integral role in the local area;

— opposes the closure of Dún Uí Néill Barracks, Cavan, Columb Barracks, Mullingar, Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny, the Military Barracks, Castlebar, and any further Army barracks across the country;

— opposes the gradual closure of further Army barracks through a reduction of personnel numbers stationed in them; and

— calls on the Government to develop a rational strategy to maximise the effectiveness of the Defence Forces that encompasses their role in the towns in which they are based.

With the agreement of the House I will share time with Deputies Ó Cuív and Brendan Smith. I, the Minister and our respective parties agree that this country and the Members of the Oireachtas owe a great debt of gratitude to the members of the Irish Defence Forces for their commitment to their country and to their jobs. Over the years they have faced down many threats internally within the State and externally across the world in pursuit of peace and security for the State. They continue to serve at home and abroad fearlessly. The Minister will visit the troops next week along with President McAleese. We wish the Minister well for that trip. The troops have brought and continue to bring great distinction to our country.

What we disagree on is the future organisation of those fine men and women and the impact potential changes may have on communities across the island. This is why we are here tonight. Along with my colleagues Deputies Brendan Smith and Robert Troy, Senator Diarmuid Wilson and Councillor Siobhán Ambrose - then mayor of Clonmel - I have sought since April information on proposed barracks closures. However, the standard reply from the Minister on every occasion here and in the other House is that no decision has been made. Yet, within the Army community and its higher levels, and within local communities like Cavan, Clonmel and Mullingar, there is a widely held belief that the barracks closure is imminent.

This belief is based on internal briefings from within the Army. It is based on comments by several Government Deputies, including comments such as "The gloves are off" and "I have no cause for optimism despite putting up a very strong case for the future of the barracks". There was also a lengthy release from one Deputy outlining the options for Army members who are moved and indicating that while the physical barracks may close, it will be made available to community groups immediately on closure. So the words in the Government amendment that "condemns mischievous attempts to exaggerate the impact of these necessary decisions and create unnecessary fears among local communities" are relevant to the Government benches as much as any. This motion is about the 500 families that are being left in limbo by this lack of decision. This is why we have chosen to put this motion down this evening and offer the Government the chance to bring clarity once and for all.

The Government amendment congratulates the Government on taking "resolute action in facing the economic crisis" and yet it states further on that decisions relating to Estimates and the troika have been taken by the previous Government. It is those Estimates that the Minister is congratulating himself for implementing. That is indicative of the approach of the Government; on the one hand it blames us for everything from the economy to the rain but on the other it is happy to run around the world taking international plaudits. The Department of Defence is no different.

In Government we closed Army barracks and we did so in the face of strenuous and hostile opposition from the parties in Government. We are not hiding from this and it is mentioned in our motion. There is nothing "inconsistent" about the approach we are taking. We closed Army barracks because of the transformed security position on this island as a result of the peace process, a process in which every Member of these Houses has played a role. That process transformed not just the economic prospects of our island but its social chances. I often wonder if people forget the sacrifices made to get us to where we are today.

When we closed those barracks we ensured that €85 million of investment from the sale of those closed barracks was put back into the Army, ensuring that it is one of the most modern in Europe. I pay tribute to successive Ministers responsible for defence, including former Deputy Michael Smith, Deputy Willie O'Dea, former Deputy Tony Killeen and Deputy Ó Cuív. They ensured the policy of investment would continue, and the fruits are evident in barracks around the country, and particularly in the quality of the equipment with which our armed services serve across the world as we speak.

As a result of that work and commitment which went into the barracks programme, we know that we cannot afford, as a nation, to close any more barracks. There are 18 barracks in operation, which is optimal for a force of 10,000 or so. That number reflects a suitable geographical dispersal highlighting different specialties within the Army. Those specialties are instanced in Mullingar, which is the only artillery barracks left in the country; in Clonmel, which is a vital base for the Reserve Defence Force; and Cavan, which has a state of the art purpose-built barracks, one of the finest of its kind in Europe. It was only opened in 1990, and it is the only new barracks to be commissioned since the foundation of the State.

These three barracks are collectively home to just over 500 soldiers and their families and are worth about €15 million per annum to the three local economies. How will the withdrawal of that spend from these three economies impact on the "public finances" about which the Government proclaims to be so worried in the amendment? The amendment speaks of "unnecessary" fears but there is nothing unnecessary about the fear in these communities this evening. They are afraid because they are hearing from Army management that these barracks are to be closed while getting uncomfortable vibes from the Government Deputies that the barracks are to be closed. Nobody doubts that the Deputies opposite are trying but their efforts are falling on deaf ears. On every occasion in this and the other House, where we have offered the Minister the opportunity to clarify the issue he has not done so. That is why people are afraid this evening. These fears are genuine and should not be dismissed as otherwise.

Tonight is the Minister's chance to detail in the House his exact plans. I know from his amendment and his form in these occasions that he will not deal with the fears. We will have the usual broken record of blaming this party for everything from the collapse of the economy to stealing the Minister's sweets when he was a child. I would like him to deal with the following issues.

Where will the savings be made by closing these barracks? He should answer that question in the following context. If we close these barracks he will not be laying off any soldiers and will pay extra travelling allowances to approximately 600 people for up to nine months. He will have to make substantial capital investments in other barracks to accommodate those who are dislocated and discommoded. He will continue to have a very substantial security and maintenance bill for the closed sites. The Minister will be unable to realise any capital from the sale of a barracks or a closed barracks in the current property market and will be unable to do so for some time. Even if he continues the trend of transferring premises to other organisations, as is happening in County Monaghan as part of a deal and project facilitated by our former colleague, former Deputy Margaret Conlon, he will not realise any value for the Department of Defence in the way we realised €85 million to reinvest in the Army. The gain to the Army and the local spend will not be equivalent to what has been taken out of those economies.

How will the defence priorities of the State be served by the closing of barracks? The Minister should await publication of the new White Paper on Defence, on which he is working, before proceeding with further closures. Closing Dún Uí Néill in Cavan will leave only two barracks on the Border. If we need any reminder that we still need maximum security on the Border, the seizures of illicit fuel and the continuing activity of dissident republicans in recent days are that sharp reminder. Closing Columb Barracks in Mullingar will leave us without the last artillery barracks and an important UNIFIL staging post. The closure of Kickham Barracks in Clonmel will be a serious setback to the operations and organisation of the Reserve Defence Force. Proceeding to undermine three of these functions will undermine the integrity of the preparation of the White Paper on Defence.

There is a danger that in debating the physical existence of a barracks and its value to a local economy we will forget the most important element, the people involved. Hundreds of Army personnel do not know where they will be stationed or working in possibly six weeks. They do not know how their working and commuting day will look. They are being told by Government Deputies that they will be given travelling allowances and, depending on the part of the county in which they live, that they might be able to go to Dublin. Some of them are tonight serving with the United Nations in Lebanon and do not know to which barracks they will be returning. Will the Minister be able to tell them next week when he will be over there with them? Their families do not know where their children will be in school this time next year. If they are in separate employment in the towns in which they currently live, they do not know if they will be able to maintain that employment.

As for the communities involved, if 500 jobs in three centres were under threat tonight, there would be topical issue debates on the issue proposed by Members on all sides of the House and Adjournment debates in the Seanad calling for IDA and various other task forces to assist. We can bring clarity to the matter and give assurances to the communities involved. On the basis that there will be no saving, unless the Minister can state otherwise, and in view of the importance of the Army to local communities, as is recognised on all sides of the House, it is of paramount importance that the Minister give some details on the matter.

I started by paying tribute to the Defence Forces. This is not the way to treat them, their families and communities. The Minister is effectively the commander in chief of the Defence Forces. This is not a matter that can be passed off as an operational issue for the military. The Minister retains the power to clarify the position. I urge him to take that chance.

See this speech in context