Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if measures implemented in the reorganisation of the Permanent Defence Forces in 2013 will be reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14767/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a third brigade will be re-established in the Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14768/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.

As part of a major re-organisation of the Defence Forces in 2012, a decision was taken to consolidate the three under-strength Army brigades into two full strength brigades. The decision to move to a two brigade structure involved full consultation with the Defence Forces, and final proposals approved by the then Minister for Defence were agreed between the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General.

The decision was taken because it was clear that the previous three brigade structure was no longer viable, particularly when compared to international norms. Key aspects of the re-organisation included the consolidation of under-strength units into a smaller number of full strength units, a reduction in the number of headquarters and the associated re-deployment of personnel from administrative and support functions to operational units.

The White Paper on Defence, which was published in 2015, resulted from a comprehensive examination of Defence requirements over a ten year planning horizon and it specifically provides for the retention of the Army’s two Brigade structure.

There are no plans to return to a three brigade structure which would cause a range of unnecessary inefficiencies, such as an increased administrative burden arising from the need to re-introduce a layer of non-operational middle management, and a return to under-strength units.