Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

The Minister is selective because the real agenda behind his interventions in such situations, as well as the interventions of the European Union and United States, is to pursue their interests and their agenda and not the interest of the people of the aforementioned countries. This is what is of concern to me.

In addition, the financial cost of this measure is extraordinary. The Minister is closing down the barracks of soldiers and their families in the face of significant opposition from those soldiers and their families. He states it is necessary to do this for financial reasons because of the troika and all the rest, but yet we can afford to spend more. When Ireland participated in the Nordic battle group, I understand it cost €850 million and involved 100 soldiers.

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