Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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118. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel, by rank, required to fully crew LÉ George Bernard Shaw, LÉ Gobnait and LÉ Aoibhinn naval ships. [46389/24]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The LE Aoibhinn and the LE Gobnait, the Naval Service's P70 Class Inshore Patrol Vessels, each has a minimum crewing requirement of 24 personnel. The LÉ George Bernard Shaw and all of the P60 Class of Offshore Patrol Vessels have a minimum crewing requirement of 45 personnel.

I am advised by the Defence Forces that the strength of the crew, and ranks thereof, may vary, depending on the mission and tasking.

The breakdown by rank of the minimum crew for both the P60 and P70 class vessels is as follows:

RANK CODE NAVAL RANK P60 Class P70 Class
OF-3 Lieutenant Commander 1 1
OF-2 Lieutenant (NS) 4 4
OF-1 Ensign 1 -
OR-7 Chief Petty Officer 2 1
OR-6 Senior Petty Officer 1 -
OR-5 Petty Officer 9 6
OR-4 Leading Seaman 8 6
OR-2/3 Able Seaman 19 6
TOTAL ALL RANKS 45 24

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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119. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will consider an alternative to the Ishihara test, given that it is not used in other countries such as the US and the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46488/24]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Candidates applying for positions in the Defence Forces are required to meet specific criteria, which include medical standards for military service, as laid down in Defence Forces Regulations, made pursuant to the Defence Act 1954, as amended and extended. These medical standards are based on the professional advice of the Medical Corps and, having regard to the nature of the job, the duties of military service and the training exercises undertaken by members of the Defence Forces

The vision standards required for entry to the Defence Forces include that applicants colour vision must be normal. The Defence Forces colour vision standard is defined by the ability to pass the Ishihara Colour Plates. To be accepted as an eligible candidate for entry into the Defence Forces, the applicant must have a normal result in this test.

The conditions for entry to and service in the Permanent Defence Force (PDF), including the methodologies used for assessments, are subject to continuous review and modification having regard to the needs of the organisation and the development of best practices. More specifically in relation to the issue of colour blindness, a Defence Forces Colour Vision Working Group, established to review the colour vision requirements for entry to the Defence Forces, has concluded its work. The military authorities advise that the report and its recommendations remain under consideration.

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