Morale among Naval Service members and their families is at an all-time low, according to PDforra, the Defence Forces representative association.
Gerry Rooney, general secretary of PDforra, said this was because the Naval Service was failing to follow through on a promise that personnel would spend a maximum of 180 days at sea over two years, with the following two years at base.
PDforra, the Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association, said at a press conference in Cork yesterday that up to 75 sailors had applied to leave, or actually left, the Naval Service in the first three months of this year.
Mr Rooney said: "The White Paper on Defence clarified the level of service required of the Naval Service and how it was to be implemented, but this is simply not happening. Sailors were supposed to spend two years at sea and two years at base but this is being ignored. Some sailors are spending up to 100 extra days at sea doing relief when they should be on shore."
Mr Rooney said personnel were also often spending two full days on overnight duty at base when they were on their "week ashore" from long-term sea patrols.
PDforra yesterday published a report on serious problems incurred by Naval Service families in relation to long-term sea patrols. It was carried out by a team of experts under the chairmanship of management consultant John Brennan. The research sample consisted of 344 people, which included service personnel and spouses.
The main findings of the research suggested there was a sense of "hopelessness" and "disenchantment" with the overall policy on long-term sea patrols.
Mr Rooney said there was "no confidence" in management to resolve the problems in regard to long-term sea patrols as they "won't listen."
According to the report, members joined the Naval Service knowing they would have to go to sea for lengthy periods. However, it was the manner in which the sea time/shore time was managed that was the grievance.
Sailors quoted in the report said their family life was being compromised by the perceived failure of the Naval Service to run the rota system properly.
In response to questions on the current long-term sea patrols, spouses used such terms as "betrayed, lonely and depressed."
A copy of the report will shortly be presented to Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea. PDforra has requested a meeting with Mr O'Dea to seek to have matters emerging from the research addressed urgently.
A life at sea . . . and the problems for those left behind
Sarah O'Meara, who is married to a Naval Service member, said yesterday that sailors were given short shrift if they complained about conditions or rota systems.
"There is a bad response if they complain. Our life together as a family has been compromised by their failure to run the system properly", she said in a pre-recorded message shown at the press conference
In the report published by PDFORRA, several unnamed spouses spoke of their feelings of sadness and frustration with the Naval Service.
One woman said she was tearful, worried and stressed when her husband went to sea for long periods at a time.
"Depressed and stressed at having to cope alone yet again, I can also feel resentment to my spouse and the Naval Service for having to live this kind of life. If children didn't need two parents to rear them, well why have they got two parents?"
Spouses described going from "24/7 to nothing", saying the Naval Service life made it impossible to "create a normal family environment".
In the report, Naval Service members also indicated high levels of stress about going to sea for up to three weeks at a time.
One sailor quoted in the report said patrol "takes you over" and family was moved to the background, causing friction upon return to shore. "It is very hard to balance home life with sea life because to do this you have to have proper communication with your family and the new Navy policy is to stay out to sea as much as possible. Families are being destroyed because of this policy and I can see this happening to mine."