MINISTER OF State at the Department of Defence Paul Kehoe received a frosty reception at the the annual conference of the Defence Forces’ representative association yesterday, with the threat of barrack closures continuing to loom in a number of locations.
Gerry Rooney, general secretary of PDforra (Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association), thanked Mr Kehoe for attending but expressed disappointment that Minister for Defence Alan Shatter was unavailable.
“I think he should have been here to listen to our concerns and views,” said Mr Rooney.
“In particular it would be interesting to hear his views on the proposed barrack closures. I hope he isn’t going to ignore the defence part of his brief into the future.”
Mr Rooney claimed about €8 million would be needed to upgrade barracks taking transferred soldiers if closures occurred.
He estimated savings from closures would yield between €50,000 to €200,000 per barracks.
Among the barracks under threat are Mullingar, Clonmel and Cavan.
Mr Rooney told Mr Kehoe current Defence Forces staffing levels had not been so low since 1970. He also said 10 major barracks had closed since the mid-1990s leaving just 16 major Irish barracks.
“If the current graph of closures continues, we will all be living in a tented village in the Curragh plains, by the 2030s,” he told the conference in Co Westmeath.
Mr Rooney also claimed it had been suggested to him that Fine Gael had been delaying any decision until after the presidential elections.
However, he replied: “That is definitely not the point.” There were “tough decisions to be taken from the department from top management right on down the line,” but “no decision has been made on this,” said Mr Kehoe.
“No proposal has been brought forward yet but I can assure you that when proposals are brought forward, they will be treated in a very respectful manner and we will take into account all the people who are involved in this.”
After his speech at the conference, the Minister met a group consisting of concerned Defence Force family members.
Patsy Walsh, a former Army member from Cavan, whose son is serving in Lebanon said: “He’s coming home in six or seven weeks time and he doesn’t know where he is going. . . On arrival home, it’s possible he won’t be going back to his home station.”