Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Curragh Camp is a very special place in County Kildare and nationally. It was a thriving community but is not so much now, sadly, because a lot of facilities have been moved from there and a lot of the accommodation for married people and families is no longer available. At the same time, many families were reared in the Curragh Camp. There is still a military community and two schools are still operating from there.

My Commencement matter relates to two iconic buildings. The camp dates back to around 1855 and was used during the Crimean War by the Royal Engineers. It was later expanded with a permanent barracks, a post office, a fire station, churches, a water tower and a courthouse. The post office itself is of considerable social and historic importance because it was the first purpose-built post office completed in Ireland after Dublin's GPO. It was constructed in 1899 and there is a preservation order on the building. It became a template for numerous other Irish post offices and served not just the Curragh Camp community but the surrounding villages like Brownstown, Suncroft, Gormanstown, etc., until July 2019, when the then postmaster retired. Facilities were moved to a modern facility so, thankfully, the service itself was not lost to the Curragh Camp and surrounding areas. It is an absolutely beautiful building and has been unused since 2019, after 119 years of service. Since the building closed, it has suffered vandalism and deterioration, which we see all too often with vacant buildings. Kildare County Council had to take enforcement action to ensure some of the building was boarded up. It is very important that a plan be put in place for this iconic building, which is in the heart of the Curragh Camp.

The fire station was built not long after the post office. It was erected around the year 1900. It is a five-storey red-brick fire station with a very prominent, six-storey water tower. It was among the very first of Ireland's purpose-built fire stations and was built extremely well. It has a very imposing tower that makes it a centrepiece of the Curragh Camp civic square. Local people talk about being born under the shadow of the tower. It was a very important building, both in terms of the service it provided and the structure itself. Sadly, the fire services are no longer based there, as of only last month. That was a military decision, taken due to the working time directive. I do not propose to get into that issue now but I think that the decision was an absolute shame. Fire services do continue to be operated by Kildare County Council as a replacement but are not based at the Curragh Camp fire station.

These are two very fine buildings, and people who live in the Curragh now and also those who come from families who originally lived there are very concerned about these two iconic buildings. Is there a plan for them?

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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Before I call the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, I welcome to the Gallery the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Niall Collins, and his guests, who are from Lough Gur National School, County Limerick. As tradition goes, the pupils will have no homework for the week. I also welcome the guests from Gaelscoil Éadan Doire, who are guests of Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh. As tradition goes, they too will have no homework for the week.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I, too, welcome the students and hope they have an enjoyable day here in Leinster House.

I am responding to Senator O'Loughlin on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who unfortunately cannot be present here today. He asked me to pass on his apologies to the House. I welcome the opportunity to respond and I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her question. I am very familiar with the Curragh Camp as I had a cousin who was an officer in the Defence Forces and have a friend who lives in close proximity to the camp. I am aware of how loved the Curragh Camp is by the community and of the special regard in which it is held, so it is appropriate that I can fill in for the Tánaiste in responding on this matter.

The post office building in the Defence Forces Training Centre, which was a feature of the military installation for many years, was, as the Senator rightly pointed out, closed in July 2019. The Department of Defence was not involved in the decision to discontinue its use as a post office. As this building is within an active military installation, its long-term use will be determined first and foremost by the military authorities.

To further progress the development of Defence Forces infrastructure more quickly and increase economies of scale, it is planned to develop a series of master plans for each installation to future-proof for the next 20 to 30 years. This approach will identify from the outset the infrastructure requirements in line with capability development for each installation, including the Defence Forces Training Centre, with associated prioritisation of projects and a phased timeline for delivery.

The future plans for the building will be considered within the context of the master planning process for the Defence Forces Training Centre, which is due to begin next year. In that context, the future use and any associated refurbishment works for this building will be determined by the Defence Forces in the context of their operational requirements.

Of course, with regard to any works which may be required to safeguard the architectural importance of the building, the Department and the military authorities will be guided by Kildare County Council. This collaborative approach has worked very successfully with Dublin city and Cork county councils in relation to major renovation projects for important historical buildings in McKee Barracks and at Block 8 on Haulbowline Island. I am advised that some remedial works were carried out in 2022 to ensure the structural integrity of the building.

With regard to the fire station in the Curragh Camp, to which the Senator referred, I am advised that in December 2024 the Department was informed an operational decision had been taken by the military authorities to proceed with the closure of the Defence Forces Training Centre fire station. The fire service was formerly operated by the Defence Forces Engineer Corps. I understand there has been some discussion about the repurposing of the fire station building for other uses by the Engineer Corps; however, a final decision on this matter will be made in the context of the future master planning of the Defence Forces Training Centre.

I thank the Senator for raising these important matters. I know of the two buildings in question and have seen them, and I am aware that the post office is of historical importance in the area. I look forward to the master planning exercise and working with the military authorities on developing their plans.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I know he has a sense of the historical, social, cultural and architectural importance of both buildings. I am pleased about this and that he recognises the buildings' significance.

I acknowledge that the Department of Defence was not involved in the decision to discontinue the use of the post office. The decision on the fire station was a military one also. Nevertheless, because the two iconic buildings are in the Curragh Camp, in respect of which the Department of Defence works closely with the military authorities, it is important that we have a plan in place. The response I have just been given about the plan to develop a series of master plans for each installation to future-proof for 20 to 30 years is very welcome. It would be helpful to get a timeline on that down the line. I appreciate that the Department's decisions will have priority in this area.

It is really good that the water tower and fire station are being considered for engineering space. There has been talk about the possibility of using the post office as a medical centre. I assume that, in the planning, there will be an opportunity to make proposals. I am pleased that the buildings will not be left to rot, because there is enough dereliction around the Curragh Camp. It is important that we do everything to preserve the two buildings and go further with others.

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. I assure her that the Tánaiste is committed to radically overhauling the built environment for the Defence Forces throughout the country. The historical importance of the Curragh Camp to many members of the Defence Forces, their families and the wider local community is fully understood. In that context, several capital works are ongoing at the Curragh Camp training centre, at various stages of construction, tender procurement, design and planning. These form part of the Defence Forces infrastructure development plan, which sets out a programme of project delivery for the years 2023 to 2027. Through that, the Department is investing some €50 million in national Defence Forces infrastructure, with a further €12.5 million being provided to the Defence Forces on a fully delegated basis to maintain the current building stock.

I emphasise that the future master planning exercise will be important in identifying future uses for the buildings the Senator referred to and in ensuring we have modern fit-for-purpose infrastructure for members of our Defence Forces, who serve our country with distinction day in, day out.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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Before we move on to the next Commencement matter, I welcome the pupils from Kiltale National School, County Meath, who are guests of Deputy Aisling Dempsey. As tradition goes in the Seanad, there will be no homework for the rest of the week.

I also welcome to the House Senator Pat Casey's guests: Pat Vance and Barry Ryan. Everyone else in the Gallery is also very welcome to the House today.