Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Defence if he will consider reversing the decision to move 56 soldiers from McKee Barracks, Dublin, to the Athlone Barracks, County Westmeath, in view of the major difficulties this will pose to their families in terms of housing and schooling. [53140/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The implementation of the major reorganisation of the Defence Forces in order to maintain their operational capability is progressing in full consultation with serving personnel and their Representative Associations. All options to avoid the need for personnel to relocate are being explored as part of this process but inevitably, given the scale of the reorganisation, it will be necessary for some staff to move to new locations. The creation of a new two Brigade structure for the Army under the reorganisation has resulted in Combat Support Units being reduced from nine units to six. The Field Engineer companies based in McKee Barracks fall into this category, and the Headquarters element and Field Engineer Company are being relocated to Custume Barracks, Athlone. The 2 Field Artillery Regiment based in McKee Barracks are also relocating as part of this process and consideration is not being given to reversing these operational decisions. However, I understand that a number of vacancies have been offered in Dublin to personnel where units are being relocated.

It is important to restate that the reassignment, promotion and appeals processes are still ongoing and that the numbers of personnel to be mandatorily reassigned remains fluid at this point making it impossible to give final definitive figures at this juncture. All members of the Defence Forces reassigned under the Defence Forces Reorganisation Plan 2012 will be entitled to Change of Station Allowance in circumstances where they meet the qualifying criteria. The Defence Forces Personnel Support Service has a representative in every Barrack or Installation to which personnel are being reassigned and these individuals are in a position, using both internal and external resources to provide the necessary supports to the redeploying personnel and their families if applicable, as was previously provided during recent Barrack closures and redeployments.