An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November / December 2024 www.military.ie/magazine 36 | T he last two years has seen a significant increase in infrastructure spending in the Defence Forces with the Capital programme now delivering over €80M worth of projects in the last two years alone, an increase of over 100% on previous single annual allocations. The ongoing Infrastructural Development Plan (IDP) has been in place since 2022. It sets out an approved list of Capital projects worth over €350M scheduled to be delivered before 2028. As part of this plan, the Defence Forces has seen the delivery of major Capital projects like new gymnasiums in both Stephens Barracks and Sarsfield Barracks, new accommodation blocks in Collins Barracks, Haulbowline, and McKee Barracks. This includes a new University Student Accommodation Centre (USAC) with over 70 individual en suite rooms in Renmore Galway. Several Defence Forces locations are also enjoying a very visible transformational change with the scale of infrastructural improvement affecting several buildings concurrently. This can be seen at McKee Barracks, with the delivery of a new Medical Aid Post, Director of Medical Offices, Locker Block, H Block Accommodation, East Terrace, Printing Press, F Block, Electrical Upgrades, and other ongoing heritage and RIAI award winning restoration works. This array of work includes the facilitation of the Defence Forces move from St Bricin's Hospital which requires the construction of a new purpose built Military Medical Facility at Casement Aerodrome, a project that is expected to break ground in Q1 2025. The ongoing cluster of development is also gaining momentum at Haulbowline with several major projects underway including the completed Block 8 accommodation building, the ongoing refurbishment of Block 4 as new accommodation, Block 9 as new Naval Service offices, a new gymnasium/strength and conditioning centre, and remediation of the former contaminated Irish Steel site. Coupled with all this development is the ongoing tendering for masterplans for each location of the Defence Forces. The masterplans will be replacing the IDP after 2027 and set out plans for each location identifying their infrastructural needs for the near future. The first of these plans was piloted for the airside of Casement Aerodrome, that plan will enable the further development of the base to facilitate the Air Corps transition to an Air Force under the Commission on Defence's (CODF) Report Level of Ambition (LOA) 2. As part of the development of Casement Aerodrome, new aircraft hangars, a gymnasium/strength and conditioning centre, and accommodation block is planned. Other new facilities that are growing out of the increase in infrastructure output is the JITC and the Army Ranger Wing Compound. Both featured in the CODF report for enhancement and development in order to meet LOA 2 and the infrastructure has been ramped up to support this with the delivery of a new gymnasium, new dining complex (one of three planned that also includes Aiken Barracks and Finner Camp), new locker block, and other vital training infrastructure at JITC Gormanston, and the planned construction of a new ARW HQ commencing in 2025. There has also been a significant construction effort to improve Defence Forces storage facilities. Several new storage facilities have been constructed and more are planned in the coming years. As part of the Defence Forces ambition to meet LOA 2 there will be a significant investment in military equipment. To support and protect this valuable equipment appropriate storage facilities need to be provided. This is something the Corps of Engineers have been proactive about by ensuring that new storage facilities are provided across the country, including new facilities planned for Fort Davis, the DFTC, and Coolmoney Camp. From 2022 to 2027, the IDP is expected to deliver over 80 Capital Projects valued at €350M. As of October 2024, there are currently 12 IDP Capital projects on site worth over €70M with a projected spend of €24M of that alone in 2024. There have been 18 Capital projects completed in the last 24 months' worth €22M with €5M of that spent in 2024 and 12 projects that were carried over from 2023 valued at €48M with over €23M of that paid in 2024. Over all in 2024, €42M was ring-fenced for IDP Capital Projects and €14M for delegated minor projects. This meant the Subhead had the highest allocation in its history of €56M for Built Infrastructure, Construction and Maintenance. Along with the larger IDP projects the Corps of Engineers is actively delivering on minor delegated works too, placing over 80 minor works contracts since January 2023. Overseas has seen significant investment as well with over $1.5M invested in a new Cookhouse, $0.4M in a new hardened TOC facility at UNP 2-45, and $0.4M on a new CST facility in Naquora. This is the most significant investment in overseas infrastructure for nearly ten years. This important infrastructure has been delivered just in time to be available to the UNIFIL personnel based at these locations in advance of the escalating situation there. In the transformation of the Defence Forces, and the effort to achieve LOA 2, there has been a step change in the delivery of infrastructure. At the heart of that delivery is the organisations commitment to deliver fit for purpose, compliant, modern built infrastructure that can enable the Defence Forces achieve its ambition in a sustained way that offers quality for the organisation and value for money for the tax payer. ENGINEER CORPS BY LT COL EMMET KEELEY DFTC CIS workshops Ongoing works on F Block in McKee Barracks New locker block in Mckee Barracks McKee Barracks Officers Mess Restoration The new TOC in UNP 2-45 Ongoing works in USAC, Renmore Barracks

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