Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

4. To ask the Minister for Defence the reason the Naval Service Reserve underwent such a drastic drop of 76% in seagoing days between 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34866/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This relates to the Naval Service Reserve and the question of their seagoing days. In a recent parliamentary question it emerged that the reserve was at sea for 576 days in 2013, but this fell by 76% to 130 days in 2014 and a mere 58 days this year. It is strange to have a naval reserve that is not at sea. That is from a Kildare landlubber to a Cork seafarer.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

First, I concede that we have had challenges in the Naval Service in the past two years on a number of levels. We have had to prioritise where our ships are. We have had ships in the Mediterranean since May and we had some problems with a delay in the delivery of the LE James Joyce. We also had issues with maintenance, all of which contributed to limited resource availability for the reserve.

The Naval Service Reserve trains its members to supplement and aid the work of the Naval Service in carrying out its wide variety of roles. As part of their training, naval reservists receive instruction in motor boat handling, sail training, navigation, marine communications, weapons training, fire fighting and sea survival. Subject to the availability of seagoing berths, naval reservists also receive annual training on board Naval Service ships when on patrol. The availability of seagoing berths was, however, significantly restricted in 2014 for a number of reasons, including the non-availability of LE Orlaand LE Ciaradue to the necessity of urgent remedial works on both vessels. In addition, there was a requirement to carry out unforeseen maintenance arising from a serious engine problem encountered by LE Eithne. Furthermore, the priority requirement for new Naval Service recruits to be rotated to sea duty on completion of their professional training further limited the availability of sea berths for members of the reserve. With the Naval Service fleet having returned to its full complement of eight ships, it is envisaged that there will be scope for an increase in the number of seagoing days for reserve personnel in the future. For this reason, I anticipate that there will be an increase in 2016.

I wish to place on record my admiration for the members of the Naval Service Reserve, who provide valuable support to the Naval Service at sea and on land. They also provide support for a range of ceremonial events, most recently in Dún Laoghaire at the naming and commissioning ceremonies for the newest naval vessel, LE James Joyce.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

One thing on which everybody in this House would agree in light of international events is a greater need for coastal vigilance than at any stage in the past. In addition to the ships to which the Minister made reference, I understand the naval reserve had access to and use four motor launches, three of which have been in dock at the naval base and awaiting repair since last year. I am aware that the flag officer commanding the Naval Service stated that due to a shortage of engineers within the Naval Service they have been unable to carry out these necessary and fairly minor works to these launches. That would appear to be another reason the naval reserve is not seeing the number of seagoing days one would expect.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am a little surprised that people are going to the Deputy with this information when, if I had the information, we could fix it. I will find out if this is the case, but I have not been told of any problem with three out of the four naval launches. The real issue is getting reservists onto ships for patrol hours offshore to give them experience so that, if and when they are needed, they have the necessary experience on ships to support our Naval Service, fit in with a crew and train with them seamlessly. With respect, I do not think they will get those days on launches. We have had some particular and unusual problems with having to take ships out of use for a period to undertake work on them, but that is now done and we have our full complement of ships again, so I expect the numbers to improve significantly. I will, however, check the launch issue.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not think there is the same level of confidence within the reserve itself in the commitment of the Department. The Minister has constantly spoken positively about the reserve. What I have read in the White Paper about the reserve is positive, but people on the ground are telling me that this is not what they are experiencing. Every reasonable person in this House would say the work the Naval Service is doing to save lives in the Mediterranean is absolutely magnificent. We could get into the political aspects of what we should be doing, but fishing people from the water and saving their lives is enormously important. Has the reserve had any input into that process and does the Minister envisage its having an input into that service if it continues?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am not quite sure what the Deputy is getting at when he says we could talk about the politics of what we are doing in the Mediterranean.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am not talking about it. Others are.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The politics of it are that it is absolutely the right thing to do. The politics of it is that I made a decision that, instead of focusing our resources on fisheries protection, which is what we would normally be doing, we have diverted those resources, with a consequential loss in sea hours. I am not happy about that but I strongly defend the decision to do what we did, which was to prioritise resources to save lives.

In the White Paper, and in answering questions on the White Paper, I said that reservists generally, whether in the Army or the Naval Service, may well have a role to play overseas in the future, but it would be in specialist roles such as medical assistance, counselling and support services in humanitarian missions like the one in the Mediterranean. This has been a very demanding mission for the Naval Service. Our best and most experienced crews have been sent and they have done a phenomenal job. We will have to wait and see whether we include reservists in that mission should it continue into next year, which I think is likely. The most important thing is that the ships do an effective job and the crew are safe.