Concerns have been raised about the operational effectiveness of the Naval Service after it emerged that a third vessel has been discovered to have potentially fatal asbestos onboard.

Jim Halligan was diagnosed with asbestosis 19 years ago. “It’s like living with a death sentence hanging over you,” he says. “If you get it, you have it for the rest of your life.”

Civilian workers exposed to potentially deadly asbestos dust will be screened every two years for health defects.