Vol. 509 No. 6
82 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the removal of the British Army base from the GAA grounds at Crossmaglen; if he has visited the location recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20855/99]
I was pleased to welcome the announcement by the Secretary of State on 3 April 1999 of the decision to return land requisitioned by the British Army in 1974 from Crossmaglen Rangers GAA Club, and, in particular, the formal handing over of the land to the Club on 9 July 1999. The matter had been the subject of frequent exchanges over a considerable period of time with the British Government through the framework of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has over the years closely monitored developments in relation to the base, and, in particular, the land owned by Crossmaglen Rangers. The location was visited by officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs on a number of occasions, including following the formal handover.
The British Government is committed in the Good Friday Agreement to making progress towards the objective of security normalisation in Northern Ireland, including, inter alia, the removal of security installations.
