THE Naval Service suffers from excessive bureaucratic control and enforced subservience to the Army, and would not be able to enforce the Republic's policy of military neutrality if it had to, the journal Jane's Navy International has said.
The Minister for Defence and the Marine, Mr Barrett, has also "dashed hopes" for three new ships, and for a new naval training facility at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, the international magazine notes. In reversing a policy adopted, by his predecessor, Mr Hugh Coveney, Mr Barrett has ensured that no new vessels can be expected for at least two years, if not longer, the magazine says.
In spite of influx of EU funds the service remains inadequately equipped for its main functions of peacetime patrol and policing the European Economic Zone(EEZ), the journal states. Yet the burden of work has increased by an estimated 30 per cent with the access from January of Spanish trawlers to the "Irish Box".
The criticisms, carried in the journal's May issue, come at a time when, tenders have been sought by the Government for a special review of both the Naval Service and the Air Corp. The Naval Service is also celebrating its 50th anniversary with the first fleet review in the State's history due to take place in Haulbowline next month.
The consultancy reviews were, commissioned on foot of representations from both the Naval Service and the Air Corp following the Price Waterhouse report to the Government's Efficiency Audit Group (EAG). That report had proposed reducing Naval Service staff from about 1,080 to 1,000, which could tie up two ships. The service argued that this did not take into account its changed situation in relation to fishery protection and the deterrence of drug smuggling.
Mr Barrett said last year that an EU grant of £12 million towards the cost of policing Ireland's 132,000 square mile zone would be applied to the modernisation and upgrading of existing material. "However, the capital sum of £40 to £50 million simultaneously voted for expansion of its patrol capabilities would be applied to the purchase of one vessel (of new construction) rather than the three planned by Coveney", Jane's notes. By opting for one new, rather than up to three secondhand ships, EU funds will be "squandered", it says.
Sea conditions off the south and west Irish coasts are among the worst in the world, the magazine says, and demand "excellent seamanship". In 1995, the service detained 51 fishing vessels in Irish waters, 17 of which were Spanish a flagged. A long term decline in arrests is believed to be the result of "under resourcing" EEZ policing, rather than any decrease in illegal fishing, the magazine says, while a short term increase is attributed, to surveillance by Air Corps patrol craft.
"Despite a history of official neglect the Naval Service until recently boasted the highest morale of any element of the Irish Defence Forces, but recent negative developments have reversed this trend", the magazine states. "The service undermanned, underfunded and overstretched is sailing under a cloud and the current forecast does little to suggest better conditions ahead", it says.
. Up to 13 Irish and foreign war ships will participate in the fleet review to mark the Naval Service's 50th anniversary in Cork harbour next month. The review will be the first such event to take place since the State's foundation, and the last since Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1897.
The review fleet, comprising ships from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden and Holland, and seven from Ireland, will anchor on a 3.5 mile route from Crosshaven to the naval base at Haulbowline. The visiting ships will be hosted by the city of Cork over the weekend of July 12th to 14th, as part of an international maritime festival.
