Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that the Government has a comprehensive Brexit plan in place. Once Article 50 is triggered, I assure her that we will be very much involved in the negotiations. Let me state, however, that on the Defence Forces side, the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations was a key objective in the ongoing defence modernisation programme. On 15 November 2011, the Government approved a proposal from the then Minister for Defence to proceed with a further phase of consolidation of Defence Forces personnel to fewer locations, with the closure of four military barracks including Dún Uí Néill Army Barracks in Cavan. In addition to the barracks at Cavan, barracks located at Castlebar in County Mayo, Clonmel and Mullingar were closed in March 2012.

Following the Government's decision, officials from my Department wrote to each Department, various agencies and local authorities seeking expressions of interest in the barracks. I assure the Deputy that my Department and I, as Minister of State with responsibility for defence, have our own Brexit plans in place, as has every other Department. It is a comprehensive plan with a whole-of-Government approach to it.

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