Dáil debates

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Naval Service Operations

10:45 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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60. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Naval Service cannot fulfil its commitments on fisheries protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48474/18]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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This question relates to the failure this year and in previous years of the Naval Service to fulfil its service level agreement with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority because it cannot get its ships out to sea and the dangers that poses to the fishing industry, as well as the ability of gangs to smuggle goods into the country via the sea.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Naval Service is the State's principal seagoing agency tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main 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, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks. I pay tribute to the significant security role the Naval Service routinely carries out. By its nature, often that security role goes unrecognised or unacknowledged, but it is vital to Ireland's national priorities and interests.

Regarding its sea fisheries protection role, the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 established the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, as the competent authority for securing efficient and effective enforcement of sea fisheries protection legislation and the sustainable exploitation of marine fish resources from the waters around Ireland. A service level agreement is in place which underpins the relationship between the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and the defence organisation. The agreement provides for the development of an annual control plan and agreed reporting and training arrangements. It also provides a forum for sharing information between parties and dealing with fisheries control and enforcement issues.

Departmental officials, members of the Naval Service and the Air Corps have met officials of the SFPA at formal and informal meetings throughout the year and enjoy a collaborative relationship on sea fishery protection matters. I am advised that, notwithstanding challenges encountered in the Naval Service this year, the projected number of patrol days in 2018 will be 98.2% of the target agreed with the SFPA. The SFPA has been kept fully informed of developments in sea fishery protection.

I am assured by military management that the Naval Service continues to carry out its maritime, security and defence operational responsibilities.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Just because a ship is at sea does not necessarily mean that it is patrolling. There is a huge difference. Ships are leaving Haulbowline and anchoring off the coast in order that it can be said they are operational. That is a disgrace and must be addressed. The Minister of State and the military authorities must admit that they cannot fulfil the duties they undertake with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority because they cannot get ships out to sea. That would be an honest admission. Some 138 patrol days had been lost by August this year and I doubt that they have been made up since. The likelihood is that by the end of the year the annual control plan figures which range from 1,090 to to 1,267 will not have been achieved. Will the Minister of State admit that the lack of recruits and the exodus of personnel are causing major problems for the Naval Service in delivering the service everybody wants? What will he do to ensure ships are at sea patrolling and protecting the coastline?

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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As I said, the annual control plan is agreed with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and sets out the strategy for achieving sea fisheries control targets each year. In accordance with the agreement, the 2018 annual control plan has a target range of between 1,090 and 1,267 patrol days. Notwithstanding the challenges encountered in the Naval Service this year, the projected number of patrol days in 2018 is 1,070, or 20 days short of the original target. These are the figures I have received from the Naval Service. The number of patrol days on fisheries and security duties in 2014 was 1,127. In 2015 it was 1,204; in 2016, 1,367 and in 2017, 1,408. At the end of October the figure was 1,345. We have an excellent relationship with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. Discussions with the Naval Service on its fisheries protection service have focused increasingly on the quality of inspections undertaken, rather than the quantity of inspections. It is important that we continue to have that relationship and maintain the number of patrol days.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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When the Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, appeared before the joint committee last week, he tried to explain the loss of sea days by saying boardings were made more efficiently and so forth. That may well be the case, but it does not explain the fact that in 2005 there were 1,681 patrol days, while the Minister of State is now talking about a figure of 1,000. That does not compute. As we now have more ships than we had in 2005, there is something wrong. The Minister of State should admit that there is a major problem with retention in the Naval Service and that he cannot get ships out to sea to carry out full operations as it did in the past.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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We are operating the same number of ships as we operated this time last year. We also have similar commitments to those we had last year in the Mediterranean. The Deputy referred to what the Chief of Staff said last week at the committee meeting. He said that in all his years in the Naval Service days at sea had been lost for a variety of reasons.

Five per cent of the days lost at sea were due to personnel reasons. That has always been the case and there is nothing new in it. I have spoken about the challenges faced in the Naval Service. We are considering our commitments in 2019. However, this is one of our main commitments to the Sea-Fisheries Protection Agency and it will continue to be the case in 2019. We have an excellent relationship with it. I have instructed senior officials in my Department to meet its chief executive officer. The letter came from a more junior person within the agency; it did not come from the chief executive officer and I want to get to the bottom of it. We will continue to prioritise our commitment to the agency.

10:55 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I did not raise the issue of a letter.