Vol. 470 No. 5
121 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to a recent protest by Army wives at Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, County Louth regarding the long hours of duty being worked by their husbands; if so, the action, if any, he intends to take in order to alleviate this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19458/96]
An essential element of Government policy in the prevention of the illegal movement of BSE-infected cattle into the State is the provision of support to the Garda by the Defence Forces. While this has resulted in an increase in the level of Defence Forces' activity in the Border region, I am assured by the military authorities that every effort is being made to alleviate the increase in working hours for members of the Defence Forces. In this regard, troops are being rotated to the Border region from the areas within the Eastern Command. The situation is kept under continuous review and changes will be made in the light of operational requirements.
