Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-09
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

I will refer to what the Deputy has referred to as well, but there is also the significant increase in funding that has been agreed by this Government, specifically investment not just in the men and women, but also in our overall structures within our Defence Forces system. I have visited quite a number of barracks in the past few months. I have been in Aiken Barracks in Dundalk, the accommodation in Renmore, Galway, the Gormanstown campus and Haulbowline. All of these are areas where we are seeing significant investment in accommodation, dining facilities, gym equipment and the overall environment. Making sure that that investment continues will be a key priority for me. I think €170 million has been spent in the past five years alone, but this year close to €70 million has been spent. On top of that, there is €13.5 million for maintenance and running costs. There is an absolute commitment to make sure that our barracks and critical infrastructure for our Defence Forces members are up to scratch, modern and fit for purpose. Any new decisions for a new barracks or new accommodation will have to be taken once the overall process is done, but I will be determined to ensure that we have more money and that we invest in any of these new buildings or any new expansion that is required.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-09