Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join in the call made by colleague Senator Paschal Mooney, for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, to come to House to debate the effects of some aspects of the habitats directive on rural Ireland. I hope we can have this debate as soon possible.

Last Friday, I attended the official opening by the Taoiseach of the Cavan-Monaghan education and training board multi-complex in the former Army barracks site in Monaghan town. This complex houses Gaelscoil Ultain, Coláiste Oiriall, the Monaghan Institute and the Garage Theatre. It is a state of the art complex and I pay tribute to everybody involved in getting the complex to its completed state, fully occupied and officially opened by the Taoiseach last Friday. I compliment everybody involved, including the chief executive of Cavan-Monaghan education and training board, Martin O'Brien and the committee members of the former County Monaghan VEC whose brainchild this was. They were ably assisted in the project by a former colleague in the Dáil, Margaret Conlon. I also thank former Ministers, Batt O'Keeffe, Mary Coughlan and Ruairí Quinn for the input they had in ensuring this complex came into existence. Will the Deputy Leader please invite the Minister for Education and Skills to the House in order that we can ask her what plans, if any, she has for the former Dún Uí Néill Army barracks in Cavan town which are now in the ownership of the said Cavan-Monaghan education and training board? This barracks was the only purpose built Army barracks in the history of the State. It is a state-of-the-art building, but it was closed over two years ago by the Government. It has been in the ownership of the board mentioned for over two years and is sitting idle. It costs more to maintain it closed than it cost to keep it going when fully occupied by members of the Defence Forces. It is a matter of urgency to ascertain from the Department and the Minister what plans, if any, they have for that site.