Ó Cuív Denies Galway 'Military Downgrading'

The Galway area will not loose large numbers from its Army base - despite rumours to the contrary.

Minister for Defence, Éamon Ó Cuív has denied having any knowledge of plans to downgrade the army barracks in Renmore following reports that over 160 city-based soldiers are to be redeployed to Athlone.

Soldiers are understood to have concerns that only 69 of the 234 troops currently stationed at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa will be retained at the Galway facility after they were briefed about a proposed re-organisation of the Irish Army last week, and again yesterday morning.

In contrast, Minister Ó Cuív said that plans for the re-organisation of the Irish Army were still only at a preliminary stage and his Department had "no knowledge of plans to move the vast majority of Renmore-based soldiers to Athlone".

Minister Ó Cuív said there were long-term plans for the reorganisation of the defence forces, but these were only at a preliminary stage.

"Whatever plans are formulated are not likely to be before my Department for a number of months yet," he added. "This will be a long process and the Minister has to approve it. I want to establish the facts in this case.

"At the Department level, officials have been very taken aback that there should be such a proposal."

Just last month, the TD visited the area's military establishment and announced that as an endorsement of the Government's commitment to ensure that the Permanent Defence Force is capable of fulfilling the range of tasks assigned to it, he had approved the recruitment of a further 200 enlisted personnel in 2011.

At the end of January he said: "I can confirm that while the Permanent Defence Force, like all areas of the public service, will operate on a reduced budget in 2011, the proposed level of recruitment can be financed from the resources allocated to the Defence Vote in 2011 and are within numbers permitted by the Employment Control Framework for the Permanent Defence Force.

The Minister made his announcement during his first official visit as Minister for Defence to Renmore Military Barracks, Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, in Galway and to the adjoining office of the Department of Defence, Aras an tSáile, Galway.

(BMcC/GK)