Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2012
216. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff at McKee Barracks that were instructed that they would have to move to Athlone by 1 December; the basis for this decision and the financial supports available to the staff involved. [50303/12]
View answer217. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the personnel rank and so on to be moved from McKee Barracks in Dublin as part his Departments reorganisation of the Permanent Defence Forces; the location to which the personnel are being moved; and the provisions being put in place to support the personnel and their families who are being asked to relocate. [50440/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together.
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. Personnel are being offered the opportunity for reassignment within their current locations where this is feasible, together with opportunities for re-training and re-skilling. In addition, a review system has been put in place whereby personnel who are unhappy with a proposed relocation can seek a review of a decision. 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.
Pending the full rollout of the reorganisation plan it is not possible to say how many personnel can be facilitated though the reassignment process. However, there is no question of families being moved or being required to move arising from the reorganisation and this is a matter for each individual to decide. The reality is that many Defence Forces personnel currently assigned to McKee barracks are not resident in Dublin and commute on a daily basis, which is a common feature across both the public and private sector of a modern, flexible and mobile working population in Ireland today. The reassignments have in fact offered the opportunity for many personnel currently based in McKee Barracks to move to locations which are more favourable to their personal circumstances. In this regard 42 personnel across all ranks up to Commandant are taking the opportunity to relocate on a voluntary basis.
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 are 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.
