Navy left with two vessels to patrol as ships put on 'operational reserve'

The navy has been left with just two vessels, LÉ Samuel Beckett and LÉ William Butler Yeats, to patrol 437,500sq km of waters in our exclusive economic zone. Picture: Larry Cummins

The naval service has been forced to place two more of its ships on ‘operational reserve’ due to its staffing crisis, the Irish Examiner understands.

The move means the navy has been left with just two vessels, LÉ Samuel Beckett and LÉ William Butler Yeats, to patrol 437,500sq km of waters in our exclusive economic zone.