Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has advocated strongly. I do not want to raise expectations too high. The consolidation of barracks created benefits in terms of the operational readiness and deployability of Defence Forces personnel. The military would argue that consolidation has improved that readiness. However, the Deputy's point about the link between recruitment and military tradition through the presence of a barracks is well made and should not be dismissed. It is something I have picked up myself. One only has to meet a deployment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, and I have met a number. If one asks where people are from, there is a strong correlation between the presence of barracks and a military, family and community tradition. That is an important point and it is something of which I am conscious. People might worry about any venture to set up a new base in a barracks in Cavan because there may be operational deficiencies and so on but the Deputy's point was well made.

If we look at the Naval Service, speaking as a Corkman, I note the naval base in Haulbowline is in place but there is an argument that we have 1.5 million people living in the capital city, where that maritime and naval tradition has not existed to the same extent. We must balance all the variables.

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