Micheál Martin: Crew shortages and reduction in naval services 'extremely worrying'
Km Ships Larry Patrol One Cummins Of Picture: Our Waters Is File Of Only Exclusive Samuel Left In To Two Zone Navy Economic Lé Currently 437,500sq Beckett
Crew shortages and a reduction in naval services were “extremely worrying”, Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin has said.
The reported this week that the navy has been forced to place two more of its ships on ‘operational reserve’ due to its staffing crisis.
The move means the navy has been left with just two vessels, LÉ Samuel Beckett and LÉ William Butler Yeats, to patrol 437,500sq km of waters in our exclusive economic zone.
Mr Martin said he was not satisfied with the situation even though there was “expanded and improved” air capacity which had “significantly” enhanced maritime surveillance.
“This is not a satisfactory situation and there are a number of factors that relate to it and I think primarily full employment. We have a 74% employment rate in the country now, which is the highest ever recorded.
"So that is challenging for the naval services in particular, not just in terms of the national economy but the local economy, where there is significant evidence that the burgeoning pharmaceutical sector is taking people.”
When asked about a comment from former Assistant Garda Commissioner Michael O’Sullivan, who at one stage headed the EU’s anti-drugs agency, that the shortcomings in the Naval Service could lead drug cartels to exploit the gaps, the Tánaiste responded: “I think we need to be careful of those assessments.
"It's not at the level we would want it to be, but there are various forms of surveillance and intelligence and co-operation between member states across Europe and indeed like-minded countries all over the world. So it's not a simple matter.
“We're all interdependent. It's not that we depend on other countries. We work with other countries, and we provide intelligence to other countries just as much as they will provide intelligence to us in terms of drug trafficking or criminal operations. That is a feature of modern policing and the modern way of combating terrorism, cyber security threats and drug trafficking.”
Clearly the Irish Naval Service was “not optimally effective,” said Mr Martin.
"And that is why I've instructed my officials and I am eight months as Defence Minister and I've listened and I've met with all of the military chiefs, also the chief of staff, and they've met with the flag officer at the Navy. I think we need a more radical approach to recruitment.
“I think the conversion rate for those who are planning to join the Naval Service and also who are actually inducted is far too low. The whole approach in terms of human resources within the Naval Service has to be looked at because younger people today look at the world of employment much differently than previous generations. We have to respond to the challenges that are there.”
Culturally there needed to be a change in the terms of induction into the service, he said. Basic pay rates were already changing and the basic pay coming into the Defence Forces was now comparable to public service grades. Recommendations such as the provision of medical care for all enlisted officers had also been introduced, said Mr Martin.