TD asked to leave Dáil after outburst over barracks

THERE WAS an angry outburst from a Donegal TD in a Dáil row about the closure of two Army barracks in the county.

Dinny McGinley (FG, Donegal South-West) furiously accused Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea of trying to play politics with the Army and repeatedly demanded that he prove whether he is "a man or a mouse", by visiting the barracks in Rockhill and Lifford, two of the four barracks in the Border area to be closed, involving the transfer of 650 troops.

When Mr McGinley asked if the Minister would visit the barracks "if only to thank them for services rendered", Mr O'Dea said he had received strong representations from Minister of State Pat "The Cope" Gallagher on the issue.

He would consider the matter and "come back to deputy Gallagher".

Mr McGinley lost his temper and insisted the Minister answer in the House. He said "I take great umbrage the Minister would tell another deputy behind closed doors but because I happen to be over here [on the Opposition]. I am not representing Donegal at all". He accused the Minister of trying "to politicise the Army, an entity which should be above politics for every democrat since the foundation of the State".

Flushed with anger he refused to be seated and called on the Minister "to be a man and tell us in the House that he will go up to Donegal and meet these people who have looked after the security of this country for 30 or 40 years".

The Fine Gael deputy was asked by Leas Cheann Chomhairle Brendan Howlin to leave when he repeatedly shouted at the Minister to say whether he would visit the barracks. Eventually the Dáil was adjourned for 10 minutes and when it resumed, Mr McGinley accepted Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue's ruling that he should leave.

Mr McGinley had asked the Minister to "give these families and his personnel in Lifford and Rockhill the courtesy of going up and meeting them to explain his position, if only to thank them for services rendered so far".

Mr O'Dea said a security assessment "found that there would be no down-side implications". There were seven military installations along the Border, but the Troubles had ended, he said.

"The British have closed their facilities - there is no justification for our keeping seven facilities open." Earlier Mr O'Dea said there was "no rush" to sell the sites and while the target was 14 weeks, "if we do not manage to achieve the move by the end of January I will not lose any sleep over it".