- with reporting from Daniel McConnellThe equivalent of a ship’s crew has left the naval service since it was forced to tie up two vessels due to manpower shortages. Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show that 44 enlisted personnel, many of them highly trained, left the naval service since it tied up flagship LÉ Eithne and coastal patrol vessel LÉ Orla last June due to manpower shortages. The situation has become so acute that one electrician section in the naval service is only operating at 5% of its designated manpower strength. The loss of personnel also comes after the Government decided to increase some previously reduced allowances for Defence Forces members. The Government also undertook to review the pay of technicians in the naval service, air corps, and in certain sections of the army.

Source: Irish Examiner February 01, 2020 06:33 UTC