Shatter fails to rule out closures of barracks

MINISTER FOR Defence Alan Shatter has refused to rule out further closures of Army barracks amid escalating concerns for the future of two barracks in Mullingar and Cavan.

Fears of closures of the two barracks, affecting up to 340 soldiers and reserve personnel, have risen as a result of briefings and meetings in recent weeks and protests are being organised by soldiers’ families.

Minister of State for Housing Willie Penrose told a meeting of soldiers’ families in Mullingar that closing Columb Barracks would be an act of “crass stupidity” and made no sense, logistically or economically.

The soldiers representative association, PDforra, said yesterday that soldiers at Columb Barracks and at Dun Uí Neill Barracks in Cavan had been effectively briefed that their barracks were to close and it expected a formal announcement within months.

There was no need for further closures but the issue involved “political”, not military, decisions, the association’s general secretary Gerry Rooney said.

A protest march is being planned in Mullingar following a public meeting on Monday night attended by 300 people and addressed by Mr Penrose who said closure of the barracks made no sense and would cost the local economy about €6 million annually.

He also accused the Defence Forces of an abysmal record in trying to dispose of property and said he had asked nine Ministers to oppose the closure.

Kate Madden, whose husband is based in Columb Barracks, said there was “a lot of anger and sadness” in the community concerning the feared closure which would lead to the troops in Columb Barracks being transferred to Custume Barracks in Athlone. The soldiers and their families were very concerned about the impact of the proposed closure on themselves and the local economy, she said. “This will affect the local shops, suppliers and charities because of all the fundraising the lads do.”

A further protest march was being planned, Ms Madden said.

Mr Rooney said closing more barracks was unnecessary and would impose more hardship on soldiers already suffering pay and pension cutbacks. Savings from the anticipated closures would be minimal while the disruption for soldiers’ families would be huge and local economies would suffer, he said.

There was also a view the closures were aimed at driving down troop numbers.

The Department of Defence said no decision has been made by the Government “as of now” in relation to the future of any particular military installation. It noted various commissions, reports and studies back to the 1990s identified barrack closure as “a fundamental requirement towards improving military effectiveness and efficiency”.

Since then, the number of Army barracks had been reduced from 34 to 23.

The Minister was “reviewing” all areas of expenditure for which the department was responsible “to ensure the maximum benefit in the public interest from the use of resources”.

The Minister was anxious to avoid any substantial reduction in the number of personnel in the Defence Forces, the statement indicated.

In the circumstances, the Minister “cannot give any specific commitment that there will not be further programmes of barrack consolidation”, it added.