DF Commission Report

I'm watching it live.

Coveney is impressive in his detail and his delivery. Theres little point in me trying to cover everything he's gone through as it can be watched back or the transcript reviewed, but he has highlighted the rapid work on priority implementation structures and the grabbing of low hanging fruit, which has got the Post-Commission era off to a good start, inter-alia:

• The Attorney General's advice on legislative framing for the CHoD appt and Defence HQ/Command along with component restructuring will be received before end October.
• The 'marking time' and partial Military Service Allowance for Yrs1-3 are being abolished immediately, resulting in average €6k improvement for 3 Star and Able Seaman ranks by year end.
• Joint Civil-Military committees are up and running to address priority items among both hard and soft items, including Org Transformation, Air and Coastal Defence, Reserve Affairs (Revitalisation), Training capacity (1,200 per year through 1 and 2 Star level training to get ahead of losses and increase numbers) Gormanston to become mass enlisted training centre under DFTC development
• Civilian heads of Transformation and HR reporting direct to General Staff are in recruitment process already
• NS and Air Corps WILL become Navy and Air Force
• Funding commitment is 1.5 billion by 2028 at Jan 2022 prices, in other words *already* at 1.6+ billion.
• Review of DoD activity within Defence Sector to be published immediately and implemented.
• SC wants DF security of non Defence sites withdrawn as soon as practicable, ie Midlands HS Prison, Central Bank, Irish Explosives - should be civil power provided.
• And lots more....
• 
  

Or turn it into National Army HQ......

Incidentally, Coveney also confirmed that two Naval stations, on the east and west coast, will be expedited.

From whom?

There are literally zero heavy hitters in Longford-Westmeath to swing that kind of investment, especially as you say if there is Brass resistance.

Assuming Navy HQ remains sensibly in Cork, the Army HQ will almost surely be in Dublin. Besides, being Army HQ could be a small business park it doesn't need to be an actual operational base. In fact, its probably better if it isn't.

For example, British Army Headquarters is a low rise campus in Hampshire between an industrial estate and a railway line. Its got one helipad.

Being geographically central in Ireland is meaningless.

All the transport links are Dublin centric, ie you can get to Donegal and South Kerry still quicker from Dublin, by road or rail, than from Athlone. And wherever it ends up being located, you'd expect its digital communications capacity to be state of the art regardless.

There is also no military justification for it being located centrally, save for the risk of a seaborne invasion!

Its a strange rec by the Commission and one I don't think should hold any sway.

I'd understand much more if they said, lets look at a few reasonable sized towns and give the investment of locating Army HQ to the most deprived, to get a bit of cash rolling around local businesses. Somewhere like a Longford, Navan or Claremorris. Because really, for its intended function, it could be anywhere, but probably should remain near Dublin.

I daresay thats a very long way off indeed.