Soldiers will know by mid-November the number to leave Collins Barracks

By mid-November it will become clear how many soldiers will have to leave Collins Barracks, Cork, for other barracks as part of a Defence Forces’ rationalisation plan.

Fears had been expressed that disbandment of the 4th Inf Batt would force over 80 troops to join other infantry units based in Galway, Kilkenny or Limerick.

However as Oireachtas Justice, Defence and Equality Committee members visited Cork yesterday it appeared the fallout might not be so severe. Many of the infantry may be retained to fill vacancies in cavalry and artillery units based in Cork.

It’s also emerged that around a dozen have volunteered for redeployment in other barracks.

Nevertheless others will be forced to make the choice of uprooting their families or leaving the army. They will have a right to appeal any decision made by commanders.

Oireachtas committee chairman David Stanton said the “implementation group is trying to minimise the impact on troops and their families”.

His committee also attended a briefing in Ringaskiddy on the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster, which is a collaboration between UCC and CIT boffins, the Naval Service and business sector.

IMERC acting director Judy Rea told them talks were at an advanced stage in attracting two American and one German company to the facility.

IMERC’s strategy is to double the country’s GDP from ocean resources to 2.4% by 2030 and up that sector’s annual turnover from to €6.4 billion by 2020.

IMERC facilitated a recent project between Cathx Oceans and the Naval Services which tested and provided maintenance advice on high-powered underwater torches developed by the Naas-based company.

The collaboration bore fruit when the company won a €1m contract to supply its products to the Swedish Defence Forces and it’s hoped similar contracts will follow in Norway and Sweden. It provided free use of its products to navy divers for the Tit Bonhomme trawler disaster search.

Mr Stanton said the navy should be supplied with more modern ships, as it will have a crucial role in protecting the planned exploitation of the country’s underwater resources.

“There are not enough ships, even though there are two new replacements on the way (costing in excess of €100m).

“In the current financial climate we can’t do much more, but hopefully a point will come when that will change,” he said.

The TD said he’d prefer to see larger replacements and a policy where ships are decommissioned before they are 30 years old.

The committee plans to go out on night patrol with the navy next spring.

They also visited the city’s jail earlier where they witnessed “overcrowding”.

They plan to travel to Finland this year which once suffered from similar problems, but changed policy.