DEFENCE FORCES:THE DEFENCE Forces will lose 500 personnel, close more Army barracks, cut back on overseas missions and will not replace ageing Naval vessels if the recommendations of the review group are implemented.
The closure of the world-famous Army Equitation School has been proposed in order to realise savings of €1 million. It is also proposed that Ireland’s involvement in the UN mission in Chad come to an end next March.
Defence sources said they were most surprised at the plans to further reduce personnel numbers.
It is proposed €53.4 million be saved in the €1 billion defence budget. Some 520 positions have been earmarked to go, 500 from the Defence Forces and 20 from the Department of Defence.
The McCarthy group says the cuts can be achieved by consolidating the Defence Forces’ command structure.
It says the department should formulate a plan by the end of the year outlining how the 520 positions can be shed in the next “two to three years”. It believes if staffing is reduced at the rate envisaged, some €25 million would be saved annually.
PDForra, the association representing soldiers, sailors and aircrew, has expressed concern at the proposed cuts. It said the capability of the Defence Forces to provide fishery protection, peacekeeping and aid to the civil power operations would be reduced.
Association general secretary Gerry Rooney said: “It is hard to comprehend how the decision to recommend the reduction in the Defence Forces by a further 5 per cent was arrived at given the organisation has been subject to cuts amounting to 18 per cent over the past decade.”
While 10 barracks have already been closed, it is suggested that some of the remaining 24 also close.
It says the closure will achieve savings and will also allow large tracts of land to be sold to raise money for the State.
The group also recommends a review be carried out of all of the other 33 Defence Forces properties, such as training grounds and firing ranges, with a view to partial divestment of the portfolio.
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