Naval Service's inability to put ships to sea blamed on sailors' pay

PDForra general secretary Gerard Guinan said his association has repeatedly sought improvements in remuneration that would have incentivised sailors to stay. Picture: Paul Mealey

The blame for the navy’s latest crisis, which has left it with just two operational ships, is being firmly laid at the Government’s door for failing to act on sailor pay recommendations.

Military representative associations PDForra for enlisted personnel and Raco for officers, have said the continuous shrink in personnel could have been halted if the Government had introduced improved sea-going patrol duty allowances, as recommended in the 2021 Commission on the Future of the Defence report compiled by a panel of national and international military experts.

PDForra general secretary Gerard Guinan said while he is not allowed to comment on reports that two more ships have been tied up, as it is an operational matter, his association has repeatedly sought improvements in remuneration that would have incentivised sailors to stay.

“It is important to point out that our association has consistently called for the improvement of terms for personnel from the Naval Service,” Mr Guinan said.

“The current impasse regarding the rationalisation of patrol duty allowance, which is payable to personnel who go to sea, is symptomatic of the malaise that is damaging the ability of the navy to recruit and retain personnel.

“This rationalisation was recommended over a year and a half ago by the commission and has still not been implemented. The issue needs to be grasped and addressed with conviction

“The exodus of staff has its genesis in a history of failure to implement the, even modest, recommendations from the representative associations.

"Recently, we have welcomed initiatives from naval management regarding the implementation of the Working Time Directive and believe that the only way to bolster the defence forces generally and the navy specifically is to agree to the provisions recommended by the representative bodies.

“This year appears on course to see one of the highest numbers of discharges from the navy. 

"This is attributable, from PDForra’s perspective, in no small measure to a level of procrastination that directly impacts on the morale of personnel.”

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Mr Guinan added PDForra “stands willing to assist in any way we can” to stem the outflow, but emphasised there needs to be a reciprocal approach by the Department of Public Expenditure to remunerate personnel appropriately and end the crisis.

Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, Mr Guinan’s counterpart in Raco, said the reduction in the number of navy ships able to go on patrol is “disappointing but not surprising”. 

He said it is an example of the navy cutting its cloth to measure, due to an inability to attract and retain personnel.

“The reasons for this are well known; failure to implement safe and fair working conditions, and failure to pay adequate allowances for hours worked. 

"The solutions are simple: Increase patrol duty allowance as recommended by the commission and implement the Working Time Directive,” he said.