The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has claimed the navy has the capacity to staff three out of four ships but admitted the situation is “critical” in terms of recruitment and retention.

Mr. Martin's comments follows coverage by the Irish Examiner which reported a shortage of sailors had resulted in none of the Naval Service's fleet of a quartet of vessels, worth €280m, being able to go out on patrols.

Currently there is a critical shortage of able seamen and that the crewing crisis has left its four modern Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) the P60 class vessels all tied-up.

The vessels are class leadship LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce, LÉ WB Yeats, and LÉ George Bernard Shaw which are berthed at the Naval Service base in Haulbowline in Cork harbour.

The Minister of Defence however insisted there was capacity to crew three ships and he added they are operational.

More on the story, here. 

As Afloat reported today, the Government is to deploy overseas off Libya in June and July this year the LE William Butler Yeats which has been identified as the vessel to be deployed as previously reported. 

This will involve the OPV P60 class vessel conduct maritime security as part of the EU Naval Force in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED) in operation “Irini”.

The deployment of the patrol vessel will reduce the fleet to just a trio of ships.