Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

It is worth noting that, as alluded to earlier, significant savings of €85 million have been made on foot of these sales. I emphasise that if any further closures were to take place, the money accruing from them would be used to acquire equipment for the Army.

The final and critical point I would like to make as part of the backdrop to this debate is that in the event of closures, Government Departments would be advised immediately of the availability of these facilities. I have been impressing strongly on the Minister the need for the Government to prioritise the ongoing occupation of these facilities in the interests of restoring economic activity and ensuring local economies are not adversely affected.

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