John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Naval Service operations and patrols which have been cancelled to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61081/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking 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. In terms of fishery protection the Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary.

Scheduled patrol days can be impacted by a range of factors including adverse weather conditions and unscheduled maintenance, as well as staffing issues.

The number of scheduled Naval Service patrols days which have been cancelled this year up to 30 November 2021 are 224 across the Naval Service fleet.

Notwithstanding some mechanical and staffing issues being experienced, the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection and maritime security operations.