Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I must disagree with the Minister a little on the figures. According to my briefing note, on 30 November 2012 there were 1,441 permanent positions at Custume Barracks. These included personnel who had relocated from Longford in 2009 and Cavan and Mullingar in 2012. The disestablishment of the Western Brigade and the downgrading of Custume Barracks have been a disaster for the Defence Forces and, in particular, the military Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve alike. It was a bad decision for military and strategic security reasons. The two remaining Army brigade headquarters, located in Dublin and Cork, are in two geographical extremities. From a Defence Forces operational standpoint, the entire border with Northern Ireland is now overseen from Rathmines, County Dublin. A regional Army brigade headquarters in Athlone makes essential military sense. Athlone is the geographical centre of the country, equidistant from east and west and within easy reach of the centre point of the Border.

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