Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the implementation of the Defence Forces infrastructure plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42529/23]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy O'Dea has nominated Deputy Aindrias Moynihan to take this question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the question and I want to outline the significant progress we have made in recent years in improving the Defence Forces' built infrastructure. Since taking office I have made a point of visiting several military installations and I have witnessed at first hand the improvements being made and the positive impact these improvements make to our personnel. Since its launch in 2020, there has been a rapid roll-out of projects from the plan. The updated plan estimates infrastructure requirements to be in the region of some €300 million for the coming years and there are currently over €130 million worth of projects under way at different stages of development. At present there are 18 active construction sites providing modernised facilities for our personnel throughout the country.

The 2023 allocation stands at €45 million, and taken together with the maintenance allocation of €10 million, this represents the biggest yearly allocation towards the building programme. Some of the most notable projects progressing this year include: construction of a new military medical facility at Casement Aerodrome; upgrade of office accommodation at McKee Barracks; upgrade of former USAC block, Galway; upgrade of block 4 accommodation, Haulbowline; new communications and information services, CIS, workshop facility and a purpose-built ARW facility at the Defence Forces training centre.

I would also draw attention to a key feature of the plan, which is to target investment at modernising and upgrading accommodation facilities for personnel. Since the plan was launched, completed accommodation projects have provided 365 bed spaces at several barracks around the country. There are more accommodation projects planned for 2024 and beyond. Taken together these projects will provide several hundred bed spaces for serving personnel. I am sure the Deputy will agree that taken together this represents significant progress and illustrates my firm commitment to improving conditions for our personnel. The Deputy can be assured that I have impressed upon my officials and senior military management the imperative of maintaining and building on the momentum we have witnessed in recent years.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I want to speak on this because as we move forward and improve infrastructure in the Defence Forces, which is important, there will be the inevitable sale of equipment as equipment is upgraded. It is important that some of the mistakes of the past are not repeated, including the one made a decade ago with those iconic Dauphin helicopters with the bubble front cockpit on them.

They were sold to a company in Las Vegas for €360,000 and subsequently sold on for approximately €19 million. I do not suggest we will ever get to that phase again but if assets are being replaced it is important that in the first instance we look at a national repurposing of them. We have a fabulous museum in Collins Barracks. There is also a lovely one on Spike Island with incredible equipment in storage on public display. We should look at domestic repurposing of them and maximising the asset value if it gets to that point. I hope that a lot of this equipment can still be used in training the new recruits we will see. There should be oversight in the Department on this.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We have a nice military museum on the Curragh also.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I must visit it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Deputy Moynihan. Haulbowline is complete and I visited it recently. It has very fine accommodation and there will be further developments there also. For the information of the Deputies, at present there are approximately 4,509 military accommodation bed spaces for Defence Forces personnel throughout the country. This is a significant number. It is used predominantly for training purposes but not always. Recently I instructed that some housing stock at the Curragh Camp originally marked down for demolition was to be renovated and modernised for accommodation purposes. In addition, I have instructed that an assessment be carried out of all other housing stock under the Department's control to ascertain its suitability for a return to modern accommodation usage and to bear in mind that some of these buildings have a heritage context and value. I do not believe they should be demolished.

It has been established policy since 1990 to withdraw from the provision of married quarters for serving personnel. This is moving away from the historic provision of tied housing for State employees. It is a gradual programme, understanding the sensitivities for families. I have a list of projects but I do not have time to go through what has been completed and what is under way. There is a substantial number of projects.