Military accommodation 'crumbling' from years of neglect
Buildings and accommodation at The Curragh have been run down to its current state of neglect as a result of a lack of investment.
It was once described as the 'Jewel in the Crown' of army barracks when vacated by the British after the War of Independence and is supposed to be the country's flagship military camp.
But it's crumbling away like many other military installations from years of neglect by successive governments.
While some funds have been allocated for upgrades, many fear it's too little, too late.
The pictures of The Curragh in its pomp and what it looks like today tell a thousand words.
They were obtained by Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell and provided to the to highlight the situation.
The Curragh was once a self-sufficient town with numerous facilities. But as Mr Craughwell explained it has now to be considered without doubt as 'the most derelict town in Ireland' and he maintains it's “an international embarrassment.”
Mr Craughwell should know: he's a former member of the Defence Forces.
“It was handed over by the British in pristine condition when Ireland achieved its independence. But it has been run down to its current state of neglect as a result of a lack of investment and respect for serving members of the Defence Forces,” he said.
“It's supposed to be a centre of excellence for all defence training given that it's the Defence Forces Training Centre and provides education for Irish and visiting international military personnel. As a military college, it should be worthy of university status."
However, he pointed out that while military personnel from abroad attend it for training purposes, the accommodation there is so bad they are usually housed in a local hotel.
“How does this compare to military colleges such as Warminster in England, or Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Germany?
"How does the cadet training college compare with West Point (USA), or Sandhurst (England)?"
"How is it that the gardaí can have a state-of-the-art college and living accommodation in Templemore,” the senator asked.
He maintains it's little wonder that Defence Forces personnel faced with such conditions are voting with their feet and quitting the country's military.
“Ireland with its vast experience in peacekeeping should be at the forefront of military training in Europe.
"The military college should be a fully accredited Third Level college and accommodation and facilities in The Curragh should be the envy of the military worldwide.
"There is an opportunity to turn the Military College into a cash cow for Defence, but there seems to be no one prepared to take on the challenge,” Mr Craughwell said.
“There is nothing in The Curragh Camp that would entice any young woman or man to want to go there.
"The few former married quarters that remain are by-and-large beyond human habitation and, at any rate, are not available as the Department of Defence stopped providing married quarters for serving soldiers a number of years ago.”
Mr Craughwell posed the question of why the remaining buildings there have not been treated as "a national treasure" and added another equally important note.
“Young soldiers who are at the bottom of the public service pay ladder must compete on the open market for living accommodation while contemporaries in other countries are provided with accommodation and medical care for themselves and their families.
"Just imagine what the provision of housing for serving soldiers would do to local rent prices as numbers competing for rental accommodation falls,” Mr Craughwell said.
Labour Senator Mark Wall, who lives close to the camp, claimed there are 43 derelict buildings there.
He said it is extremely difficult for enlisted personnel, who are poorly paid, to get scarce and very expensive rental accommodation anywhere near the camp.
“There are also reports of the lack of adequate shower facilities for serving personnel in the camp and this needs to be addressed urgently,” he said.
Mr Wall pointed out that in December 2018 it was announced that a new secondary school was to be built at the camp, but this project has not progressed.
He also said another major issue exists in military bases because there is no accommodation suitable for families.
In reply to a Dáil question on that issue, Defence Minister Simon Coveney said a policy had been introduced in the 1990s to discontinue the provision of married quarters to serving personnel.
“It is not intended to reverse this long-standing policy,” Mr Coveney added.
A lot of accommodation in Defence Forces installations is deemed so poor it is classed as 'substandard' by the military authorities who don't charge people for staying in these rooms.
This is the case with some of the remaining accommodation in The Curragh.
According to PDForra, which represents enlisted personnel, there are six barracks in The Curragh with a total of 869 beds. Of these, 760 are 'transit beds' put aside for those who are coming there on training courses. The remaining 109 are used by people who are 'living in' on the base.
In Block A there are 50 rooms classified by the Army as substandard.
Plunkett Barracks has 100 beds in its G and H Blocks combined, of which 50 beds are also deemed as substandard. McDermott Barracks has 40 beds closed and Block Ceannt the same number.
PDForra president Mark Keane said that one of the better installations for accommodation is Finner Camp in Co Donegal.
“They don't have many people living there. They do have accommodation available and it is of fairly good quality,” Mr Keane said.
Unfortunately for the Finner-based troops, they are regularly sent to carry out duties in barracks in Dublin where the same can't be said.
Mr Keane said accommodation was “poor” in both Cathal Brugha and McKee barracks in Dublin.
He added that the picture isn't that great either at Sarsfield barracks in Limerick, Renmore barracks in Galway, and St Stephen's barracks in Kilkenny.
“Some of these rooms are substandard as well,” Mr Keane added.
There are not enough beds for cash-strapped soldiers seeking to live at Collins Barracks, Cork, and currently, there are four personnel on the waiting list for a bed there. There has been a significant rise in recent years in rents being charged in the city.
The Air Corps is currently seeing a number of works being undertaken to upgrade the accommodation available at their headquarters in Baldonnel.
These works included re-wiring, plumbing, etc. There are 38 rooms with 78 beds in total with anything up to three to a room. Accommodation for apprentices has been recently refurbished.
It has been well documented how many young sailors have been sleeping on ships because they can't afford rents in the Cork Harbour area anywhere close to the Naval Service base on Haulbowline Island.
Rents in places like Cobh, Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, and Monkstown would be in the vast majority of cases way beyond their grasp.
The 'Victorian Blocks' on the island are being refurbished, which will eventually on completion see the provision of upwards of 160 beds.
Mr Keane said if the Defence Forces are to successfully attract new entrants and retain personnel, the provision of a decent standard of accommodation must form the cornerstone of this retention and recruitment policy across the three arms of the Defence Forces.
“If we are to attract new entrants to the Defence Forces we need to be proactive in the provision of the same services and standards of accommodation currently being provided by those businesses who are currently recruiting,” Mr Keane said.
Following the last budget, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney stated that capital funding for the Defence Forces next year will be €141m.
He said this will allow the continuation of the replacement and renewal of essential military equipment and will enable continued investment in installations.
Mr Coveney said a significant number of defence infrastructure projects will also be advanced under the Defence Forces Built Infrastructure Programme.
These will include the provision of a new Cadet School at The Curragh, a new military medical facility at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, and allow for an upgrade of accommodation facilities in various military locations throughout the country such as Collins Barracks, Cork; McKee Barracks, Dublin and the Naval Base on Haulbowline Island.
He didn't, however, break down how much of the €141m would be spent on accommodation improvements.
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