Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

The failure of the Minister for Defence and his Department to release the necessary funding for the refurbishment of the military barracks at Castlebar, County Mayo, has caused major disappointment among the military personnel there, particularly those committed 680 members of the Reserve Defence Force of the 18th Battalion and Companies A, B, C and D and the 5th Motor Battalion. They are disappointed that their loyalty, service and commitment is being disregarded. They are dismayed that because of a failure to release the necessary funding to carry out the required electrical work at the barracks, the annual summer training camp cannot now take place. Five one week camps and one camp for non-commissioned officers will be moved out of Castlebar to other centres such as Mullingar.

I am sure the Minister will agree that the 18th Battalion is one of the finest in the country. It has acquitted itself well and proudly. Its members' FCA experience, and the fact they wear the FCA uniform, has provided the appetite for hundreds of them to apply for membership of the regular Army. I remind the House and the Minister that Private Billy Kedian, who was from my county and town, was the last member of the Irish Army to give his life on active duty in the Lebanon. The Minister attended his funeral in Ballyhaunis. His appetite to become a member of the Permanent Defence Force was whetted and nurtured by his service in the FCA.

The Mayo members of the Reserve Defence Force feel strongly that they are getting the thin edge of the wedge. Not only will the annual summer camp not take place in Mayo this year, but the 25th Galway Battalion and the 18th Mayo Battalion will be amalgamated, with an overall reduction in members from its current complement of 1,824 to 1,370. Some 310 of that reduction will take place at the expense of the 18th Mayo Battalion, thereby inflicting a double blow. I do not care about the financial constraints; this treatment is not good enough.

I ask the Minister for Defence to inspect and respect the contribution of the 18th Battalion. I want him to outline in his reply the estimated cost of the necessary refurbishment at Castlebar. I want him to issue an order to his Department to immediately release the funding to enable the necessary work to start immediately. Castlebar should be properly refurbished and become the headquarters of the Reserve Defence Force in the west instead of what seems to be a calculated decision to take it out of commission completely.