Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response and for bringing clarity to the debate. At the very least, we can say the tweet sent out by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, was disingenuous and ill-informed.I thank the Minister for making it clear that no decision has been made by Government in terms of relocation and for acknowledging the very strategic location of Cathal Brugha Barracks and the 1,000 personnel who serve. They must be central in this debate.

I accept what the Minister is saying regarding a feasibility study and look forward to him keeping all of us informed and having the opportunity to debate that feasibility study in the Seanad. I would appreciate it if the Minister could give us a few comments in his final response about recruitment and retention of personnel and the fact we need to address the 20% of Defence Forces personnel who need to apply for family income supplement to be able to pay their household bills.