Displaying items by tag: Only four ships

22nd May 2021

Failure of Financial Sweeteners to Stop Mass Exodus of Personnel from Naval Service

The Naval Service is currently operating without four (out of nine) ships due to crew shortages, among them AFLOAT adds the coastal patrol vessel (CPV) LE Ciara. The CPV is seen in 2019 during a first visit to then new marina in Bantry, Co. Cork.

Use of financial sweeteners aimed at stemming rapidly declining numbers of the Naval Service have failed, making it increasingly difficult to carry out key roles such as sea fishery protection and search-and-rescue operations.

In a communique sent by senior Naval Service officers to a member of the Defence Forces General Staff, they say the 'concerning and continual fall in (personnel) numbers' in the service, is 'hampering best efforts to provide the expected level of service to key stakeholders, and indeed the State'.

The 'restricted' communication, seen by the Irish Examiner, has further fuelled calls for an urgent response from the Government to tackle the deepening retention crisis in the Naval Service, which is currently operating without four ships.

LÉ Eithne and LÉ Orla were taken off operations in June 2019 due to crew shortages. LÉ Ciara is currently 'tied up' because she's so small there could be a high risk of Covid-19 transmission among her crew. It's not known when they will be fully vaccinated.

LÉ Roisin is coming out of a mid-life refit and when she does LÉ Niamh will go into dock for a similar overhaul.

About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.