Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

A previous Minister indicated:

As Minister for Defence I am determined that this progress will continue. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the implementation of the White Paper on Defence will proceed as planned.

He also referred to:

[M]arking the end of a long chapter in the history of Ballincollig. This was an emotive occasion for the Defence Forces and in particular for the many personnel who had served in Murphy Barracks over the years. But time moves on and without change there can be no renewal.

Those quotes were from a previous Minister for Defence, Michael Smith, a member of the Fianna Fáil Party, a man who sat on the Government benches and who was, along with the Fianna Fáil Party leader, a member of Cabinet who closed a barracks in his own constituency and another one in the Ireland South European Parliament constituency. No one from the Fianna Fáil benches at the time, Deputies Moynihan, O'Keeffe or Martin, voted against the closures.

This is a nakedly political motion. This is what Fianna Fáil said it would change. I compliment Deputy Brendan Smith on the great argument he made as to why we must keep the barracks open, namely, that the Cavan football team can keep training there. That is a very good argument.

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