Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

These people are insulated in one of seven barracks in the Curragh. These are the people who are making the balls for the Minister to throw. Will the Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, as a sensible and reasonable businessman point out to the Minister for Defence, Deputy Alan Shatter, that no savings will be made by closing these barracks? On the contrary, it will costs tens of millions of euro to close them, not to mention the human cost for 700 Army personnel and their families.

Senator Gilroy, a man for whom I have the highest respect, claimed we were making a political issue of this.