The Government announcement that it is to close the military barracks in Castlebar has been roundly condemned this week.
Lisa Chambers, Castlebar Fianna Fáil area representative, who spoke to the Mayo Advertiser this week, said that she is “extremely angry and disappointed that we are losing the military presence in the town”. With 15 people employed in Castlebar Barracks, “we don’t know are they going to be relocated or forced into early retirement”. The nearest barracks, which is in Galway, “is a huge distance to have to travel to work”.
Ms Chambers said that these are “public servants, they are career soldiers who have committed their lives to the State and country and given years of their lives, it is still somebody’s job at end of day”.
The Reserve Defence Force (the RDF unit ) also “don’t know where they’re going to be put”. Ms Chambers herself has been involved in the unit for last nine years. “It gives access to young people to get into military, learn skills which are easily transferable to work life and give kids something to do, however by removing this it is one less thing for young people in the town to do.”
Ms Chambers added that if the decision is not reversed, then something positive can be achieved by “using the building for the benefit of the town”. Mc Chambers suggested that it could be a youth centre or “perhaps open up small retail units and start charging low rents”.
Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Defence Dara Calleary also stated that the closure of the army barracks in Castlebar as well as in Mullingar, Clonmel and Cavan “would be an extremely costly mistake”.
The decision was also slammed by local Sinn Féin councillor Therese Ruane this week who said it is a “disgraceful decision” and the closure of the barracks “will deal an economic blow to the town of Castlebar”.
