Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will report on his attendance at the military display by the Army Ranger Wing at the Curragh on 16 November 2005, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Army Ranger Wing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38202/05]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Defence visited the Defence Forces Training Centre at the Curragh on 16 November 2005 to attend a display by the Army Ranger Wing, ARW, to mark their 25th anniversary and to open a new stores facility at the ARW headquarters. The display consisted of a number of training exercises and simulated rescues including two practical demonstrations of static room assaults and fast rope-hostage extraction, and a static demonstration of weapons, equipment and vehicles. The Minister was invited to inspect the weapons on display and this was done under constant military supervision and the weapons were, of course, not loaded.

This was an open media event, with those present being given the maximum access possible, subject to safety and security considerations. The Minister has asked me to reiterate his deep regret if people's sensitivities were offended by the pictures of him widely published in the media handling the weapons on display. His intention on the day was to highlight the professionalism of the ARW, the excellence of its training, and the sophistication of the equipment provided to it.

The visit to the ARW in the Curragh was one of a large number of visits to and inspections of military installations by the Minister. The nature of these visits involves the Minister being seen around military vehicles and various forms of weaponry. Shortly after the Minister was appointed, he told the military authorities that he wanted these visits to be as informal as practical to give him an opportunity to meet and chat with as many troops as possible. The purpose of these visits is not to glamorise the new weaponry or military hardware but to show how dramatically the Defence Forces have developed and progressed over the past few years.