Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The reorganisation in 2012 was a political decision influenced by the officials in the Department of Defence, not military decision-making.

On the retention of personnel, I have attended many parades and different functions in Cavan over the years when we had Dún Uí Néill Barracks. I knew many of the people who served, where there were generations of families who served with distinction abroad. I quoted a figure earlier that showed very clearly that the biggest loss in personnel has been from the areas that were previously part of the Western Brigade. It is clear that towns have lost that history and the contact with their barracks, where generations of families joined the army and served the country with great distinction. The community that the Army generated is being lost. That has contributed to our losing people and to fewer people in those areas applying to join the Army.

The Army element of the Defence Forces is wrongly oriented. It is very oriented to the south, the east and the south east. We should realise that, unfortunately, there is a border in our country. It will be there for another few years, I am sure. From a Defence Forces perspective, the 499 km Border with Northern Ireland is now overseen from the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Brigade located in Rathmines, Dublin. Dealing with the Border area needs local decision-making, with knowledge gathered and decisions made in the local area. I have spoken to the Minister of State before, asked him parliamentary questions and put it to him at the joint committee, asking him to consider once again restoring Dún Uí Néill Barracks in Cavan. The central Border area is without a military installation between Finner in south Donegal and Aiken in Dundalk.

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