Following consideration of military proposals in the matter the officer rank structure in An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil was reorganised in 1989 in order to bring it more into line with the structure in the Permanent Defence Forces. The main features of the re-structuring were the upgrading of the company commander appointments in the Infantry Corps from captain to commandant, a total of 83 appointments; the upgrading of the staff officer appointments in the corps units in the cavalry, signal, supply and transport, medical and military police corps from captain to commandant — a total of 21 appointments; the consequential upgrading of the second-in-command appointments in the infantry companies and appointments in the relevant corps units from lieutenant to captain; and the gradual phasing out of the commandant appointments of area commander and the re-distribution of those appointments as the company commander and staff officer appointments already referred to.
The reorganisation also involved the redeployment of a number of commandant appointments from command FCA staffs.
The appointment of area commander was deleted from FCA establishments and the officers who held sole appointments of area commander were gradually absorbed into the new structure.
While the structure and functioning of the FCA is under constant review there are no proposals at present for any further changes in the officer rank structure.
