Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one regret with regard to the composition of the membership of the commission. Before the commission was established, I argued in this House that it should include a person who had extensive experience in the Border region during that awful era when our Permanent Defence Force, gardaí and other emergency services had to deal with thugs, criminals, paramilitaries and murderers as they kept our State safe. A person with extensive experience as a senior officer in the Border region during that era should have been included in the commission. That valuable knowledge and experience of the Border would be particularly important.

I had the opportunity to visit some of the barracks and accommodation around the country. I recall a visit to the Curragh Camp some years ago. Some of the living accommodation for our young recruits was just awful and I know there is poor accommodation in some other barracks. I would like a commitment that accommodation will be modernised and brought up to proper standards. Today, most people who join the Army are thankfully coming from homes where there is good accommodation. Sadly, everybody is not but the vast majority of people live in good housing. When they enlist to serve our country, therefore, they should be living in modern, proper accommodation.

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