I think he was right to resign if he believes that closing the barracks is not going to save money and his next step should be to prove to the public that the closure of the barracks is detrimental to the local economy and would be better.

I think that it’s gas that people in Ireland are so annoyed that a politician had stuck to his word. It’s a sad day when the electorate actually expect a politician to renege on a promise.

I really don’t care if it was a stunt or not. What I care is that the nation are shocked that he didn’t lie.

Are we that dishonest an electorate that we actually expect lies from our public representatives. What are we like?

Unlike a lot of his party, who made ludicrous promises pre-election, Penrose had the decency to stand down when it became clear he couldn’t keep his promise.
Wonder when Ruairí will be stepping down for his broken promise on fees.

While some may chose to dismiss what Penrose has done as just “parish pump”, he does have a point when he says the facts and figures do not add up on closing barracks (a reality that applies as much to the closures of Dun Ui Neill in Cavan and Clonmel Barracks as it does to Columb Barracks in Mullingar.

While closing these barracks may yield saving of €3-4m per year in the future, there will be real and immediate costs in 2012 and 2013 that far exceed this saving as new facilities abd accommodation will be required as the barracks in Athlone, Finner and Limerick receiving the additional troops. Also, as the sites will not be sold in the current environment there will be ongoing costs in securing and protecting them in the months and years ahead.

The other big error is the wrong signal this sends to the rest of the public service. Defence is the one arae that has reformed and modernsied in recent years. Unlike other ares, the numbers in the Defence organisation actually came down over the past decade (under the 2000 White Paper).

Defence now does more with less – higher productivity, higher sustained levels of overseas service. It implemted sugested the main cost savings measures in suggested An Bord Snip Nua in less than a year, but now it finds itself under attack from Finanace and a disinterested Defence Minister.

This sends out the wrong signal to others – watch other Departments attempt to featherbed against future cuts as they see how a sector (Defence) that cut first is tragetted over and over again.

See my article on this issue here: http://wp.me/p1DOdU-2c

Well at least we’ll have one Lab T.D. after next election……….

This is a local issue. Diificult economic decisions have to be made at present and there will be more conflicts yet to come between National and Local interests. Willie Penrose is morally right in taking the decision to resign, as he said he would do so at the outset. Having lost the argument he has proved that he is a man of his word and an honourable man. I applaud him for that, he is too decent to be a politician.

A politician who was not forced to resign, who did not try to lie and scam his way out of a situation, who put his hands up and said “I’m sorry but I was elected to do this and I have failed so I’m resigning” wow, can we swap out the rest of the scum bags for this guy?

surprise, surprise, one honest politican. To hear enda waffle yesterday was embarassing, the man who broke every pre-election promise. Liars all—–

well at least he stuck to his word unlike the likes of gutless lying cowards like kenny, gilmore , reilly and co who are only interested in milking us for every thing they can get and to look good in the eyes of merkel and Sarcosy.

He stood by his beliefs and I believe if we had Irish politicians with the same morals and values we might not be in such a mess.

There’s at least been SOME progress in separating local politics fro national politics in recent years. It’s not that long ago when some of the politicians had their noses in both troughs, getting salaries and expenses for doing two jobs badly, not just the one. The problem today isn’t just that we’ve all been landed in the s**te by the gombeen men, it’s the depth of the s**te that’s the problem too. I doubt any of the elected representatives have any real power against the interational money men, they’re all puppets to an extent. Willie Penrose was probably out of his depth as a Minister but at least he had the decency to make an honest exit. And yes we are, many of us, cynical about politicians. Is it any wonder, judging by the lies most of them tell us. Ireland is the world’s biggest producer of political “pork pies”, pity we can’t export them.

The poll question is, as so often, phrased in a biased way that supports the destructive illogic of austerity by assuming ministers have a ‘responsibility to making tough decisions at the Cabinet table’.

The phrase ‘tough decisions’ is a euphemism for cuts and tax increases this government and the previous one favour, which hurt ordinary people, particularly the least well off dependent on public services.

Where are the ‘tough decisions’ against the elite, like refusing to pay their gambling debts, introducing a wealth tax or a third rate of income tax people over 80k and abolishing tax shelters for the rich? If those measures were taken we would have no need of ‘tough decisions’ that attack those least able to afford it.

Can anybody explain how this will save money? Surely building a new barracks is going to cost a lot more then maintaining the current one? I presume soldiers will have to commute and thus claim expenses for this and thus cost even more money? I have’nt heard any commentary that explains exactly how this move will save money, does anybody know the details?

Nobody seems interest in how this will efeect businesses in and around the Barracks with the losss of maoney to the areas. And the impact on the economy. This is about more then just the soldiers.

Yes in that he clearly wasn’t suited to be there in the first place.
No in that his reason for stepping down was a cynical parish pump move.

The absurdity of the comments here talking about parish pump politics.

What is strange about expecting the electorate to elect a public representative to represent them?

Nice to see at least 1 standing by the people who put him in power

He should be ashamed of himself.

There are lots of hard decisions to be made over the next few years. To resign on a local issue is just pure Gombeen politics.

This is a man who fought hard for a cabinet minister role and now shows his true colours, F the country I’m here to look after my own little town.
There is no doubt labour will welcome him back in the near future as he’s shown he’s a true self serving labour man

Willie Penrose sees how this will effect people and the local economy. This will effect not just soldiers and thier family but reduce the cash flow into shops etc. And we this will lead to pressure on employment. As well as having to pay for the maintenance of the Barracks anyway.

Willie Penrose is one of the hardest working T.Ds in Dail – A man of true conviction, there are no facts or figures to support Columb barrack’s closure and this issue is not ‘parish pump politics’, it’s about being honest with the electorate and keeping pre-election promises… http://youtu.be/YA6nhGFHzls

His resignation is disgraceful and needless. He has let down both his constituents and the country by resigning. Surely he understands that you can fight a battle to the best of your ability and not win them all. Surely he understands that there is more to be done at national level than one barracks in Mullingar? Obviously not. It’s probably best that he’s out of office then.

Councils for local issues. Dail for national issues …simple.

as we have seen over the last while fine geal and labour have sold their souls. the banks now run greece and italy and hold the rest of europe to ransom. they hold the balance of power in ireland . the only thing that these puppets can do is give themselves a pay rise at the expense of the children that are living below the poverty line. so forgive me if i couldn’t careless if one decided to stand down. one less thieving bastard

Based on recent reports of Labour’s use of the party whip, perhaps he was forced to resign?

I wish we cud get rid of the rest if the fg/labour govt…they are all selling us out to europe!!

Newton’s 3rd law Willie – for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction. Give €700 million away to bondholders one week, close barracks, hospitals, classrooms the next.
James Connolly will be spinning in his grave.

This man was elected to the national parliament if he wanted to work parish politics then stick to the council. Once he accepted the paid of a national representative he should have done the job he’s paid to do. The man should have the decency to resign his seat as my tax is paying his indecent wages and expenses. Get a job on the council willie

…and I stupidly thought that the Defence Forces and their deployment was about offering the optimum support to the defence of the state for the best value… When all the time it is about bolstering local economies… That was not really what I put in my twenty years for… a lot of it in the beautiful Columb Bks. Best luck to the 4 Arty Regt.

Mullingar need their representative at the table like all rural towns he lost the barracks battle then walked away from the war in a huff he needed to stay a fight the next battle and represent his people

I’m delighted to see him step down. Small-town considerations have no place at the cabinet table. There are bigger problems to sort. Better off without him.

I have yet to hear a military reason for keeping these barracks open….

you will find eamon gilmore or alan shatter area wont be hit is that parish pump politics

No . He was not right to step down . I admire his loyalty to his constituents BUT he was aminister and had responsibility for the country as a whole. He is a good man by all accounts and decent, but again he was a minister and he should do what is right for us all. I believe that however difficult things get ,eventually things will turn around for us. At the end of the day FFail were in power that brought about this crisis and is effecting EVERY one . I wish Mr Penrose well.

The reality is that if you stood for election in Mullingar saying “Well if it’s the correct decision, the barracks should close” you would not get a vote.

So if we want to look at who’s self-serving and parish-pump, we should go to the bathroom and look at the yoke hung on the wall above the sink.

I have yet to hear a military reason why we need a standing army at all

I think willie backed himself into a corner and could not get out of it

Good man, Willie; always prepared to sacrifice the national interest on the altar of re-election.

Mr penrose is typical of Irish politicans for generations, only interedst in local parish pump politics. What about the national interest? He was elected to the parlament not the local councill. As a minister he has a responsability to the whole electerate. His resignation is a snub to the rest of us outside Longfort/Westmeath.

Who really cares about him he’s nothing a nobody ….. On to the next one .!!

Reada he was a junior Minister in the government and a member of the dail not a local councillor in mullingar. He should resign his dail seat and stop claiming obscene wages and expenses if all he’s interested in is local politics

The question should have been “Was Gilmore wrong to have put Penrose anywhere within sight of cabinet?”

Maybe he will stand at the by election as an independent.

Forget about the closure. It’s small beer in the overall context.

The fact that someone resigned from cabinet over relatively insignificant issue – IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHALLENGES THIS COUNTRY FACES (apologies for the large type) – points to everything that is wrong about our political system.

He should never have had to make this promise in the first place. But the parish nature of our system forces prospective TD’s to make promises like this otherwise the fickle fools (US) will vote for someone else.