Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

I agree that there are lots of things we need to do. It is not just about pay. We also need to invest in our accommodation and in equipment and technology. Our investment in counter-drone technology and radar equipment is something Defence Forces personnel are excited about. The level of training involved and the ambition there encourages people to want to be part of that, so we need to invest in our infrastructure with the aim of enabling greater levels of recruitment.
I recently opened the university students’ accommodation complement, USAC, building in Galway, which is a 69-bed, state-of-the-art accommodation facility that was completed at a cost of €12.3 million, and the block 4 accommodation building at the Naval Service Base, Haulbowline, which will accommodate an additional 74 personnel. I also visited Gormanstown Camp, which is in my constituency. It is an impressive facility and will eventually provide for the training of up to 900 recruits. We want to keep increasing the numbers, but infrastructure is required to allow us to do so. Instructors are also required, and that is something we are working on. The beds are not the only thing; it is also about ensuring that we have the instructors to be able to reach those numbers.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16