Micheál Martin: Crew shortages and reduction in naval services 'extremely worrying'

The Tánaiste and Defence Minister says the Naval Service's recruitment difficulty is down to 'primarily full employment'

LÉ Samuel Beckett is currently one of only two Navy ships left to patrol 437,500sq km of waters in our exclusive economic zone. File picture: Larry Cummins

Crew shortages and a reduction in naval services were “extremely worrying”, Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin has said. 

The Irish Examiner reported this week that the navy has been forced to place two more of its ships on ‘operational reserve’ due to its staffing crisis.