Tánaiste pledges further investment in James Stephens Barracks during Kilkenny visit

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, has pledged to commit further funding to James Stephens Barracks in Kilkenny.

"I visited a new gym facility here, a great facility, and we will investing more in the barracks here," the Defence Minister said earlier today during his whistle-stop tour of Kilkenny.

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The Tánaiste further stated that on a national level 'more has been done in the last two and a half years than perhaps the previous decade in terms of investment and infrastructure'.

"There have been recent pay increases and we'll be looking at further measures to improve the quality of life for members of the Defence Forces," he said.

One pressing local issue raised to the Tánaiste was the fact that members of Kilkenny Squash Club are no longer permitted to use the squash courts in the barracks.

The Tánaiste committed to talks with local squash club members to further discuss the issue and some of the remediation concerns around the squash court facilities.

"There's a lot of unsatisfactory aspects to the physical configuration of the courts at present, fire escapes, certain safety issues like that," the Tánaiste stated.

When quizzed about issues around the communication of information between government departments and local authorities on the accommodation of asylum seekers and refugees, the Tánaiste acknowledged that there have 'been issues'.

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"These are unprecedented numbers that we have never experienced since the foundation of the State," he said.

"I want to pay tribute to all those working in various government departments, to civil servants, public servants, those who have worked very hard to try and deal with the current situation."