Army HQ idea ‘could bring hundreds of jobs’ to Athlone

Athlone could see the addition of hundreds of extra military jobs if Custume Barracks was chosen as the location for the proposed headquarters of the Irish Army, according to Westmeath County Council Cathaoirleach Frankie Keena.

He added that "every effort" now needed to be made by politicians, Athlone Chamber of Commerce, and local business people to help bring the headquarters to the town.

Cllr Keena was responding to last week's publication of the long-awaited report by the Commission on the Defence Forces, which made a series of recommendations on its future staffing, capability and structural requirements.

The report was launched in The Curragh on Wednesday of the week before last, and one of its recommendations was for the creation of a headquarters to manage Army operations nationally.

Crucially, from an Athlone perspective, the Commission felt that the Army headquarters should be in a central location.

"The Commission believes that Army Headquarters should be centrally located, with subcommands providing an adequate national disposition. A post of Army Sergeant Major should be created and located in Army Headquarters," the report stated.

In a statement this week, Cllr Keena welcomed the report, which he said would foster "real debate about Ireland’s defence needs as a modern European country."

The councillor said that, among the 480 submissions made to the Commission, was his own submission "which focused mainly on the need to return Custume Barracks in Athlone to the status of a major military headquarters."

Cllr Keena said his submission "also included the need to refocus on strengthening of numbers in the Permanent Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces not just through recruitment, but, more importantly, through the retention of experienced and trained personnel.

"The Commission recommended that for the first time the Defence Forces should have a specific Army, or Land Component, headquarters, commanding all Army units nationally, just like the headquarters the Air Corps and Naval Service currently enjoy.

"While the report does not specifically mention Athlone, it does state that this Land Component headquarters should be 'centrally located' geographically."

Cllr Keena pointed out that the Commission felt the Defence Forces' current structures were "strongly skewed to the East and South" of the country.

"By being regionally balanced it would better facilitate recruitment and retention of personnel from the regions, aid work-life balance, and encourage personnel to build a career in locations where (they are from).

"This report has now given us an opportunity to potentially secure some hundreds of additional military jobs for Athlone. Every effort needs to be made by politicians, Athlone Chamber of Commerce, Athlone businesses and other like-minded people to make sure that this new proposed Defence Forces Land Component headquarters is located in Athlone.

"The retention of all units currently stationed in Custume Barracks is also vital as part of any restructuring proposals," Cllr Keena concluded.

His Fianna Fáil colleague in Athlone, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, said the recommendation to establish an Army headquarters in a central location was "potentially a game changer" for the town's barracks.

"Custume Barracks was subject to a cruel cut in 2012, when the Fine Gael and Labour government at the time took the decision to eliminate the 4th Western Brigade without any local discussion or consultation.

"The abandonment of the 4th Western Brigade made no operational or financial sense, and only served to dilute our status and demoralise personnel," said Cllr O'Rourke.

He said that if the Army headquarters was situated here it "would represent a significant promotion in status for Custume Barracks and would put Athlone firmly back on the map" once again.

"Some preliminary work has already taken place around this proposal in Athlone, which is a very positive sign indeed," he added

On the report as a whole, Cllr O'Rourke said it was crucial that the current Government "moves quickly" to implement its recommendations.

"This report comes after 13 months of deliberations, they received 480 submissions and spoke to 1,000 Defence Forces personnel of all ranks. Broadly speaking, I am happy with the contents of the report," he said.

"It's also fair to say I am disappointed with certain aspects, particularly around the lack of an immediate proposal to deal with the pay and conditions anomaly.

"However, I am very happy that the commission recommends that for the first time members of the Defence Forces should be permitted to engage with SIPTU and will be entitled to bargain collectively like all other workers employed by the State.

"I made a detailed submission to the Commission a year ago and I am pleased that many of my suggestions and recommendations were taken on board, including the proposal to allow collective bargaining.

"The report acknowledged that understaffing is a big concern with a 'strong sense of crisis' throughout the Defence Forces.

"Now, armed with the report and recommendations, the Government needs to act," he stated.

Cllr O'Rourke called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to replace the current Defence Minister, Fine Gael's Simon Coveney, with Fianna Fáil's Dara Calleary, who had a short-lived spell as Minister for Agriculture before resigning over his attendance at the so-called 'Golfgate' function in Clifden in 2020.

"As a Minister with a wide range of responsibilities, from Brexit to Northern Ireland, Simon Coveney cannot possibly give this matter the time or attention it will need.

"Minister Coveney has said he agrees with 'virtually everything' in the report but he said it could take 'four or five months' for him to consider the findings fully. This is an immediate 'red flag' to me, and these remarks are simply not good enough.”

A spokesperson for the Longford Westmeath branch of the Social Democrats said it was particularly pleased to see the recommendation for the formation of an Office of Veterans Affairs to coordinate veteran services and provide advice and assistance to veterans and their families.

The party's local branch also expressed delight at the recommendation for a centrally located Army Headquarters, which could potentially be located in Athlone's Custume Barracks.

"Given the central location of the town and the fact that Custume Barracks is one of the oldest barracks in Europe that is still in use, it would be deeply appropriate for the new Army Headquarters to be located there,” the party representative said.