Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence Matt Carthy TD has said that the government has ‘failed utterly to address the crisis in our Naval Service’ and that their legacy is ‘a navy with less personnel, capable of putting less ships to sea for less patrol days’.

Deputy Carthy was speaking after the official commissioning of the LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait at naval headquarters in Haulbowline in Cork Harbour on Wednesday, the two new naval vessels purchased from the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2022 to replace the inshore patrol vessels LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla.

Speaking after attending the commissioning, Teachta Carthy said:

“Having inherited a fleet of 8 naval vessels this government effectively mothballed half of the fleet arising from years of underinvestment and the recruitment and retention crisis which prevents multiple ships from being simultaneously crewed.

“It is welcome that today we saw two new ships brought into service, but if government wish for plaudits then we need to see these, and other naval vessels, at sea.

“The number of naval personnel has decreased in every year under this government. Against an establishment figure of 1,094, the number of naval personnel has reduced from 936 in 2019 to 722, a reduction of more than 22% since this government came into office.

“In many cases the shortfall is acute regarding specialist roles leading to cancelled patrol days, and more recently the revelation of the outsourcing of maintenance at a cost of €13 million.

“The Tánaiste’s response to date has been inadequate, lethargic and lacking in the ambition to deliver upon the scale of the challenge of rebuilding our Defence Forces after decades of underinvestment.

“Two areas where the Tánaiste can immediately signal a change in pace is through urgently implementing the Working Time Directive, and by finally delivering upon the capital funds necessary to meet the requirements of Level of Ambition 2 of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces which he has now failed to do for 2 years.”