Time flows quickly as Naval Service tries to keep personnel numbers afloat
Naval Service vessel LÉ George Bernard Shaw in Cobh, Co Cork. Picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger
A highly-skilled marine engineering technician has warned that the Naval Service may not be able to wait for the Commission on Defence to make its report, let alone that of the Independent Pay Review Body.
Tadhg McCarthy reluctantly walked away from a job he loved as a Naval Service engine room artificer (ERA) after 24 years, because “there was no proper work-life balance".
He voluntarily retired just a few weeks ago and hasn't started a new career yet, even though his skills are in such demand he'd be snapped up by pharmaceutical or engineering companies, something which has happened with a number of his former colleagues. Many were actively head-hunted.
Mr McCarthy points to a number of job adverts suited to his skills and those of other technical experts in the navy, which clearly show he could attract a much-improved package in the private sector than in the service of the State.
The married father of three young children said the work-life imbalance made him leave the Naval Service and unfortunately when people like him do this, it heaps even more pressure on those remaining.
He said “in fairness to him”, Flag Officer Commanding of the Naval Service, Commodore Mick Malone. has tried to address stress and health and safety fears by tying up two ships because of crew shortages in 2019, but this still hasn't stemmed the tide.
Mr McCarthy maintains the genesis of the current crisis came well before that.
“Around 20 years ago, they started upping productivity levels without increasing personnel. They took the establishment [acknowledged minimum strength] for seven ships to then operate eight,” he said.
Mr McCarthy believes that's when the rot started and the Naval Service then went on to operate nine ships, amid ever-decreasing personnel numbers.
“I really had good times when I was working in the Naval Service, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the financial reward isn't enough for the sacrifice you make with family life.”
He said a standard working week is supposed to be 40 hours, but it could often go to 60 or 70.
“Because of the shortages of personnel there is an increased burden on those remaining. It wouldn't be uncommon for a seaman to be doing in excess of 60 hours a week."
He was a chief petty officer ERA and without people like him, ships can't go to sea.
Mr McCarthy said ERAs are so scarce now that he wouldn't be surprised that if even one or two more leave, a further ship will have to be tied up, or sea patrol hours will have to be reduced.
“This will have a serious impact on maritime security,” he said.
The Naval Service is vital for sea fishery protection, maritime drug interdiction and search and rescue operations. These are its three primary roles, but it also carries out a myriad of other duties for State bodies, including water sampling for the Environmental Protection Agency.
“I feel sorry for the young fellas coming into the service as terms and conditions have been eroded over the years,” he said.
Mr McCarthy said the Government's failure to review remuneration for technical experts in the Defence Forces, despite promises to do so, has led more people to leave the military.
They have failed to implement fully the findings of the high level implementation plan from the previous pay review body.
In the meantime, he's still involved in saving lives at sea, remaining a volunteer with the Courtmacsherry lifeboat, which he has helped crew for the past 22 years.
He said the Commission on Defence has to address proper adherence in the Defence Forces to the Working Time Directive, proper time-off arrangements “which are haphazard at the moment” and people should be guaranteed that if they sign up for two years at sea they then get to work for two years onshore.
Mr McCarthy said the two years onshore can't be guaranteed, especially for scarce and highly specialised personnel, such as ERAs.
Commandant Conor King, general secretary of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO), says a failure to provide adequate rest and compensatory paid time off to military personnel is significantly impacting their home life and the ability of many to maintain a career in the Defence Forces.
Mr McCarthy maintains the Government's Sea Service Commitment Scheme has failed because it excluded personnel with less than three years' experience from the €10,000 payout and, if anything, made matters worse by creating a “two-tier navy", where two people doing the same job side by side are being paid differently.
PDForra, the association representing more than 6,500 enlisted personnel, has highlighted its concerns about this and both it and RACO maintain an increase in a special allowance across the board was the proper solution.
“Our Naval Service members have long called for the patrol duty allowance to be increased to adequately compensate them for the long and unsociable hours at sea, as it is by far the best way to incentivise and reward seagoing service,” Comdt King said.
He said the failure to retain suitably qualified and experienced personnel in the Naval Service means “resilience that is so vital to a modern and effective navy is just not there at the moment".
“We have seen this manifested time and again in the disproportionate impact of the retirements or illness of small numbers of specialists on operations, with ships unable to patrol, and being tied up in some cases,” Comdt King added.
The Commission on Defence is supposed to deliver a report on the Defence Forces to Government by December. It will only be after that the pay review body starts its work. It is unclear when it will deliver its recommendations to the Government.
While he has left the Naval Service, Mr McCarthy still questions how long the latter will take and if the Naval Service can survive in the meantime.
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