Number of patrol days carried out by naval service more than halved

LÉ James Joyce is one of the naval service's four P60 class offshore patrol vessels. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The number of patrol days carried out by the Irish naval service has more than halved in the last five years, the latest official figures show.

The grim confirmation comes as navies across northern Europe and the Baltics have significantly increased patrols amid rising incidents, many suspicious, of critical energy pipelines and digital cables being cut.