Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

The Deputy is not wrong, but it is a balance to do with what is a sensible investment. Are we better off spending money on new accommodation projects and getting on with that and driving forward on that? We see the 775 beds that have been completed since 2020. Nearly €50 million was spent on that. There are 12 other accommodation projects under way, providing in excess of 500 additional beds. That is 775 plus 500. We need to make a call, and we will in 2026 with this procurement plan, about what might be salvageable with the level of investment. Obviously if there is anything that can be done then we will do that but we are only going to put our Defence Forces personnel into accommodation that would meet what the Deputy and I would consider to be of the reasonable and decent standard they are entitled to. I am very much committed to overhauling both the built environment and the working conditions for the men and women of the Defence Forces. I hope this significant increase in investment outlines that commitment. We will have to make a call in 2026 about the uninhabitable accommodation and what can and cannot be made habitable. I see that as part of our overall accommodation plan for the Defence Forces.

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