Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 7 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 5

Written Answers. - Army Barracks.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

73 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Defence if his Department will fill the two vacant positions for carpenters within the maintenance crew based at James Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny; the numbers involved in this crew and the trades represented; the structure of the crew; the way in which it has changed over the past five years; the plan, if any, there is to boost the number in the crew in view of the maintenance programme to be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the future of this operation in the region. [18908/98]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

Subsequent to the retirement of the previous barrack foreman of works — BFW — in August 1997, the carpenter at Stephens Barracks was successful in securing promotion to the BFW vacancy. He continues to serve in the barracks. There is no particular fixed number of civilian appointments established in respect of the complement of civilian employees either in Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny, or at any other military establishment. Civilian employees are recruited from time to time for service with various military units in the light of relative priorities and needs. There are no proposals at present to increase the size of the civilian maintenance staff at Stephens Barracks Kilkenny. The existing level of staffing is considered adequate to meet the normal routine maintenance tasks likely to arise. The following tabular statement sets out the numbers and categories employed over recent years.

Civillian Staff

Maintenance Company, Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
Barrack Foreman of Works	1	1	1	1	1
Carpenter	2	2	1	1	–
Painter	1	1	2	2	1
Plumber	1	1	1	1	1
Plasterer	1	1	1	–	–
General Operative	4	4	4	4	4
Pioneer	1	1	1	1	1
Storekeeper	1	1	1	1	1
Attendant	1	1	1	1	1
Total	13	13	13	12	10