Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
381. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of cancelled Naval Service patrols and activities between 1 January 2015 and 1 August 2020, including the reason for the cancellation in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25205/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 role 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 sets out the number of patrol days completed in the past five years against the number of scheduled patrol days cancelled.
|
Year |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Number of Fishery Protection Patrol Days carried out |
709 |
1068 |
1091 |
1076 |
1036 |
429* |
|
Number of Non-Fishery Protection Patrol Days carried out |
495 |
308 |
317 |
221 |
25 |
220* |
|
Scheduled Patrol Days Lost: Mechanical Reasons |
276 |
104 |
72 |
170 |
42 |
- |
|
Scheduled Patrol Days Lost: Personnel Issues |
- |
- |
- |
63 |
50 |
12** |
* 31st August 2020
** 1st August 2020
Notwithstanding some mechanical and staffing issues being experienced, the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection, security operations, and support to HSE in the fight against Covid 19.
