The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. The Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary.
Scheduled patrol days can be impacted by a range of factors including adverse weather conditions, unscheduled maintenance as well as staffing issues.
The table below outlines the number of cancelled Naval Service patrol days for the full year of 2019 and also up to 31 October 2021.
Number of Naval Service cancelled Patrol days
Period covered
|
Number of cancelled patrol days
|
Average patrol days cancelled per month
|
01 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2019
|
94
|
7.8
|
01 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020
|
81
|
6.7
|
01 Jan 2021 - 31 October 2021
|
223
|
22.3
|
The increase in cancelled patrol days in 2021 is mainly due to issues relating to COVID 19 as one of the ships, LÉ Ciara could not go to sea given its inability, due to its size, to implement safely the necessary Covid 19 precautions. There were also some unforeseen mechanical issues. In particular 47 scheduled patrol days were cancelled in 2021 due to a fire which occurred on board LÉ NIAMH in late 2020. A shortage of suitably qualified and experienced personnel during the period in question was also a factor.
Notwithstanding the mechanical and staffing challenges being experienced, I am satisfied that the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government.