Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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437. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of patrol days scheduled from 2011 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of patrol days lost from 2011 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the reasons for the patrol days lost from 2011 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by year in tabular form. [17511/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am assuming the Deputy's query 's relates to Naval Service patrol days.

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.

A range of factors including adverse weather conditions and unscheduled maintenance, as well as staffing issues can impact scheduled patrol days. For example, a total of 10 scheduled Naval Service patrol days have been cancelled up to 28 February this year as detailed in the table. All of the cancelled patrol days are due to members of a ship's crew contracting Covid-19.

The table below provides information on Naval Service patrols from January 2011 up until the end of February 2022.

The increase in cancelled patrol days in 2021 is mainly due to issues relating to Covid-19 as one of the ships, LÉ Ciara could not go to sea given its inability, due to its size, to implement safely the necessary Covid-19 precautions. There were also some unforeseen mechanical issues. In particular 47 scheduled patrol days were cancelled in 2021 due to a fire which occurred on board LÉ Niamh in late 2020. A shortage of suitably qualified and experienced personnel during the period in question was also a factor.

Notwithstanding the mechanical and staffing challenges being experienced, I am satisfied that the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government.