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The manpower crisis in the Naval Service has deepened again, with ships lagging behind on patrol because they do not have a specialized crew member.
He was due to patrol last Monday, but was forced to cancel sailing when a communications specialist assigned to the four-week patrol was unable to join the crew due to illness.
the understands that at least three such incidents have occurred in recent months and that it is becoming a growing problem associated with a critical shortage of communications specialists, physicians, marine engineers, engine room installers, and electronics and electrical technicians .
Almost 15 months ago, a decision was made to take two ships out of operations and disperse their crews around the rest of the fleet to ensure that the remaining ships were adequately manned.
However, the continuing exodus of personnel has meant that some of the remaining operational ships are struggling to find the skills necessary to put to sea.
The situation is going to get worse because it is understood that six assemblers in the engine room have indicated that they will be leaving service in the next six months and a similar number are “considering their future.” It can take up to six years to fully train a machine room installer, known as a machine room architect (ERA).
This continuing exodus comes amid growing concern that, despite promises made two months ago by Defense Minister Simon Coveney to instigate emergency measures to provide additional compensation to Naval Service personnel, this still it has not materialized.
RACO, the association that represents Defense Forces officers, said manning on some ships is so low that the absence of a particular crew member has the potential to prevent the entire ship from deploying.
His deputy secretary general, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Priestly, said that 14 months after the government’s high-level plan to attract, value and retain members of the Permanent Defense Force, the number of military personnel continues to decline.
“Despite some efforts to increase hiring, no viable efforts are being made to retain highly qualified and specialized staff,” he said.
“So it is no wonder that keeping ship crews so lean means there is no contingency plan and this will always have the potential to prevent a ship’s entire crew from being deployed on patrol.”
A replacement crew member is expected to be found for this weekend, allowing you to go out on patrol.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew members are on standby, but their patrol duty allowance of € 56 per day is not being paid because they are not at sea.
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