FIANNA FÁIL is to introduce a private members’ motion in the Dáil this week against the closure of Army barracks in Mullingar, Cavan and Clonmel, a move seen as designed to put pressure on Minister of State Willie Penrose.
Fianna Fáil defence spokesman Dara Calleary insisted however the party was not targeting Mr Penrose, who had said the closure of Columb Barracks in Mullingar in his Westmeath constituency would be “crass stupidity and economic lunacy”.
Mr Calleary said the motion would put pressure on all Government TDs in constituencies with barracks and “give them the opportunity to stand with their communities”.
Fianna Fáil accepted that in the past, with the improvement in the security situation in Northern Ireland, barracks would close. “But there is no need for further closures,” Mr Calleary said.
Mr Penrose however dismissed the motion as “typical opportunism from Fianna Fáil”. The Minister of State, who will be in Cork on Government business this week, said Fianna Fáil had closed a dozen barracks. It was because of their actions in government that “we’re having a spending review in the first place. So I wouldn’t be paying much attention to what they say”.
“I’m not a bit worried about the Fianna Fáil motion. That’s the least of my concerns.”
Protests against barrack closures have been taking place and a public meeting takes place tonight in Cavan about the town’s Dun Uí Neill Barracks.
Mr Calleary said he and Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith had been pursuing since May a decision on the Government’s intentions on the future of the barracks “and we keep getting the reply that no decision has been made”.
The Fianna Fáil spokesman said the current barracks structure should be maintained, given Ireland’s commitments to the UN as peacekeepers.
There had been an increase in security incidents on the Border, Mullingar was the only artillery barracks remaining in the State and Kickham Barracks in Clonmel played a key role in the Reserve Defence Forces, An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, more commonly known as the FCA.
Since the 1990s the number of barracks has reduced from 34 to 23. Mr Calleary said then Fianna Fáil defence minister Michael Smith invested in defence technology, in part funded from the sale of barracks.
Defence Forces numbers are currently 500 below the recommended 10,000 but recruitment is expected to take place early next year.
At a meeting last week on Mullingar barracks, when Mr Penrose described as stupid any proposals to close the barracks, he also said “I have no intentions of supporting stupid decisions”.
Minister for Defence Alan Shatter, who told the Dáil last week that he had to cut €340 million between 2012 and 2014 from the Department of Justice and Equality, has declined to rule out closures of the barracks.
