THE CLOSURE of Army barracks in Cavan, Mullingar and Clonmel and a Defence Force facility in Castlebar will see more than 500 Army personnel redeployed to different barracks around the country.
Of the affected personnel, 136 are based in Cavan, 183 are based in Mullingar and 206 in Clonmel.
Another 15 personnel will be affected by the closure of the Reserve Defence Force barracks in Castlebar.
Those personnel currently based in Cavan and Mullingar are due to be consolidated into the Athlone base.
Members of the Support and B Companies of the 12th Battalion based in Clonmel are due to be redeployed to Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick.
Other Clonmel-based personnel from the directorates of reserve forces and the military police are to be redeployed to the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare.
The 15 affected personnel from Castlebar are to be redeployed to other locations within the Western Brigade.
Overall there are 9,458 Defence Forces personnel, according to figures up until the end of September. This marks the lowest level of personnel in the Defence Forces since the 1970s, and is well ahead of the figure prescribed by the National Recovery Plan under which the strength of the force was scheduled to reach approximately 9,600 by 2014.
Of the overall figure, 7,666 are Army personnel attached to Army barracks and reserve Defence Forces around the country.
The overall number of Army barracks is due to be reduced to 14 by the end of March next.
ARMY BARRACKS CLOSURES: END OF AN ERA
CAVAN
A total of 136 personnel from the A Company based in O'Neills Army Barracks, in Co Cavan are due to be redeployed to Athlone following yesterday's announcement.
A Company, which is made up of 130 military personnel and six civilian employees, is an element of the 6th Infantry Battalion, which is based in Athlone.
The Department of Defence says that the consolidation of the battalion in Athlone will "facilitate greater flexibility in the training and deployment of the whole battalion".
MULLINGAR
A total of 183 personnel based in the Columb Barracks in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, are due to be redeployed. This is poised to affect 170 military personnel and 13 civilian employees attached to the 4th Field Artillery Regiment.
The regiment, which is an element of the the Athlone-based 4th Western Brigade, will be redeployed to Athlone.
According to the Department of Defence the move, "will facilitate greater flexibility in the training and deployment of the whole Western Brigade".
CLONMEL
A total of 206 personnel based in Kickham Barracks in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, will be affected by the announcement .
The personnel - made up of 200 military personnel and six civilian employees - are either attached to the A Company Support and B Company units of the 12th Infantry Battalion or are connected to the Reserve Forces and Military Police.
Members of the A Company Support and B Company, which are elements of the 12th Infantry Battalion based in Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick city, will be redeployed to the Limerick barracks.
Those personnel from the directorates of Reserve Forces and Military Police are due to be relocated to the Curragh Camp which is in Co Kildare.
CASTLEBAR
A total of 15 personnel will be affected by the closure of the Reserve Defence Force facility in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
The facility provides training facilities, office accommodation and storage facilities for Permanent Defence Force cadre staff, and was previously used as a training camp for Reserve Defence Force personnel.
The personnel are due to be relocated to other locations within the Western Brigade.
n It is proposed to have the personnel transferred and the barracks closed no later than Friday, March 30th, 2012