Boost to naval service ranks

After years of having insufficient organisational strength, a major push is on to bolster the ranks of the naval service’s reserves — the only section of the Defence Forces which will see a significant increase in numbers in coming years.

A recruitment drive is now under way under the terms of the recent White Paper on Defence, which recognised the importance of the reserves amid Ireland’s growing national and international maritime responsibilities.

At present, the current strength of the reserves is 144. This is made up of 19 officers, 43 non-commissioned officers, and 82 enlisted men. However, plans are in place to more than double this to 296 personnel.

Recruitment is under way in four centres for reservists — Dublin, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. It will increase the number in each of these centres from roughly 50 to 75. There is also a requirement to recruit a further four technical support officers at Naval Service Reserve headquarters in Cork.

A naval service spokesman welcomed the new recruitment drive, saying the reserves played a very significant role in their functions. Their reservists’ primary duty in recent years has been helping the naval service with port security during times when their permanent forces was stretched on operations. They have also been used to augment personnel during manpower shortages.

Naval service reserves went into action over Christmas and New Year to help build emergency flood defences in Limerick and along the River Shannon.

The news comes after one of the first reserve recruitments in the navy for years, which happened recently when 14 people, aged 18 to 27, attended a passing-out parade for reserves at the navy’s headquarters in Haulbowline, Co Cork. Recruit Class Brennan, as they were known, began training in August.

The class took its name from inventor Louis Brennan, who was born in Castlebar, Co Mayo, and who invented the idea of a steerable torpedo in 1874. He patented the Brennan torpedo in 1877.

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