FG seeks drastic action on Naval Service staff

Fine Gael has warned that the operational abilities of both the Naval Service and Air Corps are at risk unless "drastic action" is taken by the Government.

Ms Frances Fitzgerald, the party's spokeswoman on defence, said problems within both services were being "compounded" by Government inaction.

She said it was clear that no decisions would be taken on the Price Waterhouse consultancy review until after publication of the White Paper on Defence, in spite of statements to the contrary.

In the Dail last week, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, told Ms Fitzgerald that the White Paper would be published "before Christmas". Dr Woods was standing in for the Taoiseach during the Order of Business.

However, Ms Fitzgerald said that unless some "drastic action" was taken, the operational abilities of both services were "in danger of being seriously compromised".

A senior Air Corps officer is already under investigation for his public criticism of inaction on re-equipment, in the wake of the Tramore helicopter crash of last July, and the dropping of an incentive scheme for flying officers.

"At a time when all areas of business and industry are having to employ new and imaginative recruitment and staff retention methods, is it really possible that the Minister for Defence can be unaware of the extent of the personnel problems in the navy and Air Corps?" Ms Fitzgerald asked.

"We must now hope that once the White Paper is finally published next month, it will not take a further 2 1/2 years for the Government to take action on its contents."

The Minister, Mr Smith, has received implementation plans from the Defence Forces Chief of Staff for both the Naval Service and Air Corps on foot of the Price Waterhouse review, published 17 months ago. A spokesman for the Minister said that he was considering both documents.

The implementation plan for the Naval Service, a copy of which has been seen by The Irish Times, adheres very closely to the original Price Waterhouse review but does raise the difficulties attached to continuous loss of personnel, even since that review was completed in February, 1998.

Extended Government reviews of the service from 1994 to 1999 had left it in "an extended state of limbo", and had accentuated loss of experienced personnel, the authors state.

"The loss of over 30 experienced officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) has left a serious gap in expertise."

That personnel problem has been exacerbated by the decision of the Department of Defence to reject the overall strength figure of 1,144 which was recommended by Price Waterhouse, with additional crew for the new ship.

The Department has said that the crew for the eighth ship, the Roisin, must come from within a total strength of 1,144.

The Department has advertised recently for direct-entry officers, in an attempt to deal with acute shortages in such areas as bridge watch-keeping.

Earlier this month the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers warned that ships were now unable to operate on a 24-hour basis due to the shortage of watch-keepers.

The Naval patrol ship, LE Aoife, marked its 20th anniversary this week when a cake was cut on South City Quays in Dublin.

The vessel, which is named after the mythical mother of the Children of Lir, was commissioned on November 29th, 1979, by the then minister for defence, Mr Bobby Molloy.

The current commanding officer of the vessel, Lt Cmmdr Pearse O'Donnell, enlisted as a cadet in the Naval Service in the same year.