Minister of State with special responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe owes apologies to the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Mark Mellet, and to the flag officer of the Naval Service, Comdr Mick Malone, because of denials that the withdrawal of Naval vessels from service were caused by staff shortages. During this political solo run, the Chief of Staff was drawn into political controversy; the Naval Service Comdr was publicly contradicted and the media was accused of “inaccurate reporting”. Fianna Fáil has charged Kehoe with engaging in “spin and deflection” while its spokesman on defence, Jack Chambers, will raise the issues in the Dáil this week. The loss of 540 staff over five years, coupled with reductions in allowances and cuts in basic pay, has placed great stress on the Naval Service. Following a review of manpower, it was decided to remove two of its nine ships from active service.

Source: The Irish Times July 08, 2019 17:11 UTC