Shatter puts the cart before the horse

LAST December, Defence Minister Alan Shatter decided that, as a result of a cut in the maximum permitted strength of the Defence Forces from 10,500 to 9,500, a reorganisation would take place including a reduction in army brigades from three (with headquarters in Dublin, Cork and Athlone) to two.

Unfortunately, this was announced in the media before even the general officers commanding the brigades, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO), the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA), or the members of the forces had been informed.

Department of Defence officials subsequently explained that this had happened due to an “error”.