Departmental Properties
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

We need to look at all of the stock in the Defence Forces. We need to make sure that where we can refurbish, we are doing that, and where we need to build new, we are doing that, but also that we are looking at other options, whether with the local authorities or other associations. I am happy to look at any proposals or suggestions that the Deputy has raised.
More broadly, the Deputy spoke about it as a community. I work very closely with somebody who went to school in the Curragh, so I understand that we are not just talking about people who are training but their families living onsite and going to school there. It is a community. We want to make sure that it maintains that sense of community, given its importance for the Defence Forces overall. My priority is to make sure we continue to invest in it, and that where there is dereliction, we address that, but also that we highlight it and support the community that is thriving there. That is an integral part of our Defence Forces because the support the families provide to our Defence Forces is essential. Again, this comes back to the fact that if we want to grow and expand our Defence Forces, have greater capabilities and encourage more people to come into the Defence Forces, we need to make sure there is appropriate accommodation and services for them. That is a key part of our overall plan and objectives in the years ahead.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07