LABOUR LEADER Eamon Gilmore supported the retention of Columb Barracks in Mullingar before last February’s general election, according to an interview recorded during the election campaign.
Mr Gilmore expressed support for the stance taken by local Labour TD Willie Penrose and other party representatives in opposing the closure of the barracks, the interview given by Mr Gilmore to the Westmeath Showcase website shows.
Mr Penrose resigned this week as minister of state for housing after the Cabinet approved the closure of Columb and three other barracks next year.
In the interview, which has just come to light, Mr Gilmore says he is very much aware of the importance of the barracks to Mullingar and of the “important part” it plays in the overall fabric of the Defence Forces in the country.
“I support the position taken by Willie Penrose and [local Labour councillor] Michael Dollard and local representatives in . . . the pride they have in the facility and in ensuring that it remains here,” Mr Gilmore states.
“A barracks isn’t just about the buildings. It’s about the connectedness between the Defence Force and the Army and the town,” he says.
“There’s a very close connection between the town and the Army. That’s something that has to be sustained, kept and worked upon.” Asked last night to reconcile his pre-election support of Mr Penrose in relation to the barracks and this week’s Cabinet decision to close it, Mr Gilmore said he understood and respected the very strong support for the barracks in Mullingar.
However, the Government had to make decisions about the reform, rationalisation and reorganisation of the Defence Force, he continued.
“Every Minister in the Government, no matter whether their constituency is impacted or not, has to stand by those decisions.”
Mr Penrose will not qualify for a ministerial pension because he has less than the minimum two years of service required.
However, he will qualify for severance payments for the next eight months.
Meanwhile, a Labour councillor in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has resigned over the closure of the local barracks and a health centre. Gabrielle Egan, a member of Labour since 2006, said she didn’t feel comfortable with the decisions the party was making in Government.
Labour councillors in the midlands also met last night to discuss whether they should resign along with Mr Penrose.
Prior to the Government decision to close Columb Barracks, Labour had a Minister and 11 councillors in Longford-Westmeath. At best the party was last night expected to retain seven councillors in the constituency.
The meeting was called between Westmeath County Council members Mick Dollard, Johnnie Penrose, Gerard Corcoran, Dan McCarthy, Detty Cornally, Denis Leonard and town councillors Patrick Collins and Gerry Sheridan.
Mr Dollard and Mr McCarthy confirmed they would leave the Labour Party on Tuesday. Other elected members now thought likely to follow suit include Mr Penrose, Mr Collins, Mr Sheridan and Ms Cornally.
Speaking before the meeting yesterday, Mr Dollard said he had been “incensed” by the decision to close the barracks.
He said the decision was particularly devastating, given Mr Gilmore’s “unequivocal indication that the Labour government would continue to support the Defence Forces”.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Defence said it envisages that the closure of Mullingar and three other barracks in Cavan, Clonmel and Castlebar will facilitate over €1.3 million in annual savings in respect of utilities such as heating, lighting and maintenance costs.
The department has also estimated that in excess of €5 million will be saved annually as a result of “efficiency gains” by cutting down on the hundreds of man hours which are currently required to provide round-the-clock security and administrative duties connected to the management of the barracks.