Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022
95. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel that have been stationed at Custume Barracks, Athlone over the past five years; if there are plans to upgrade its status in the next few years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4169/22]
View answerI ask the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel that have been stationed in Custume Barracks over the past number of years and if there are plans to upgrade it. I say that in light of the development yesterday. I have heard the Minister’s comments today, in fairness, where he said he is looking at this in respect of Cathal Brugha Barracks. If changes will be made there, there may be an opportunity for the likes of Custume Barracks to increase numbers.
I thank the Deputy for the question, but I am afraid that he might not be happy with this answer. The brief I have is that for operational security reasons, the details of the numbers of Defence Forces personnel that are currently stationed at Custume Barracks in Athlone, as well as those over the past five years, cannot, and should not, be disclosed. It should be noted, however, that the number of personnel stationed at a particular location will frequently vary on an ongoing basis as it is a normal operational feature for there to be a constant flow-through of personnel into and out of military installations.
The rolling Defence Forces build infrastructure programme provides a blueprint for investment in Defence Forces built infrastructure over a five-year timeframe and is designed to modernise and enhance the training, operational and accommodation facilities of the Defence Forces. The completion of the new dining hall complex was an important project to upgrade the facility in Custume Barracks. The main works contract, valued at €4.1 million, was awarded in October 2018 and work was completed in 2020.
Following a commitment given in the programme for Government, a commission on the future of the Defence Forces was established by the Government in December 2020. Its report is expected soon. The commission's terms of reference include the consideration of appropriate capabilities, structures and staffing for the Army, the Air Corps and the Naval Service. Its report will be fully considered when it is received. As I said earlier, I hope we will have a long debate in this House on it.
It would be inappropriate for me to engage in speculative discussion regarding the recommendations of the commission's report or the outcome of a subsequent deliberative process prior to the completion of that process, as well as prior to a Government consideration of any proposed plan of action. However, I assure the Deputy that Custume Barracks is, and will continue to be, an important operational military barracks as part of our military structure.
I thank the Minister for his answer, although I think it is rather regrettable. I do not buy into it that "for operational reasons" they cannot tell us the number of Defence Forces personnel in any part of the country. It is disgraceful and whoever wrote that answer should be ashamed of themselves. Public representatives are not told, no matter where they are from, whether it is Cathal Brugha Barracks for someone in Dublin, or us in the west of Ireland. I am not asking for the names of people and I am not asking about individual sections. I asked a straight question about the number of personnel in an Army barracks. Whoever is sidelining that is doing so for the simple reason that the numbers are down, and they are not prepared to say it. I do not blame the Minister, but whoever wrote the answer, be it the civil servant or the person in the Army. It is disgusting to think that they will not even write down or tell us the number of people. I asked a simple question. When the Minister was in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, if I asked him a question, for example, over the past five years the number of personnel in the Department right around this country, he always gave it. Now we seem to be stifled by the Defence Forces. It is disgraceful.
With respect, giving the numbers of personnel linked to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is very different from giving the numbers for our Defence Forces personnel and where they are. I assure the Deputy that there is no downgrading of Custume Barracks at all; in fact, the opposite is the case. We continue to invest there, and we will continue to invest there. However, the advice that I have is that for security and operational reasons, from a Defence Forces perspective, we do not talk about numbers in individual barracks. I understand that because I asked the question before coming in. I knew that the Deputy would say what he has just said. I understand his frustration. I understand that this has been a consistent approach to written parliamentary questions as well. However, I will inquire as to whether I can come back to the Deputy with a more detailed answer. That is all I can do. I will try to be as helpful as I can, but obviously I will not release information if the advice is that it is sensitive from a security perspective. I do not want to overplay that, however, and I will have a look at it again and see if I can come back to the Deputy with more detailed information.
If the Minister can have a look at it, I would welcome that. It will not be to the detriment of our country or our line of defence if Members know how many different Defence Forces personnel are in each part of the country. We are given a number right around the country. That would have been given previously. It would be interesting to see over the past number of years whether those figures have gone up or have gone down. That is what I am trying to achieve.
I take that point. We are about to have a debate on everything from overall Defence Forces numbers, the numbers within the Army, the Air Corps, the Naval Service, resources for cybersecurity, military intelligence and capacity issues to structures within the Defence Forces and how they interact with each other and so on. It is my hope that this will allow us to have a broad, forward-looking debate on how we resource the Defence Forces appropriately into the future, as well as the capacity issues that need to be addressed, given what we ask of them. I assure the Deputy that will include a discussion on Custume Barracks, the infrastructure and numbers there and so on. In the context of the commission report, which we will see in the next few weeks, we will be able to pick up this conversation again. However, I assure the Deputy that if I can come back to him with actual numbers, I will do that. If I cannot, I will explain why.
