John Gilroy (Labour)

I did not intend to contribute to this debate but I feel compelled to do so when I hear the arguments from the other side of the House and the language that has been used. It is terrible to hear Fianna Fáil Senators speaking about our soldiers as if they were economic units, how much they spend locally and how much they are worth to the economy. Is that all the Defence Forces are to Fianna Fáil? It is a dreadful and disrespectful way to speak about the Defence Forces, Irishmen and Irishwomen who are proud to wear the uniform of Óglaigh na hÉireann, the real Óglaigh na hÉireann that is.

The language used by Fianna Fáil betrays something else, their real motives perhaps. It has nothing to do with barrack closures. These decent people were brought down here to be codded by Fianna Fáil and to pretend this is about barrack closures. It is not, it is about political point scoring and that is all. It is obvious that Fianna Fáil is whipping up fear among ordinary decent people for political point scoring.

To hear Sinn Féin Senators talking about it, as they profess to be concerned about the welfare of our Defence Forces, is nothing short of the meanest hypocrisy and the worst type of dishonesty. All I need to do is mention Private Kelly's name and then say no more.