Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Army, as usual, carried out its duties in an exemplary manner in Arbour Hill, for those who were there at the ceremony. After last year's ceremony a review was undertaken by the Department of Defence as to how it could improve the ceremony. We had a ceremony with a guard of honour from the Army going up in Arbour Hill this morning, and it was done in a very dignified manner as we would always expect of our Defence Forces. There was also a significant number of Defence Forces personnel in the church and most of the celebrants of the mass were Army clerics so I cannot accept those ludicrous suggestions that have been made about the diminution of the Defence Forces in the celebrations this morning.