Irish Examiner view: Navy cuts are another blow

Coastal security

Irish Navy Ship checking the seas around Blackrock. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The criminals who benefit from our increasing dependence on recreational drugs are probably hugging themselves over the cuts to the Irish navy which have reduced the service to just four active vessels, down from six a year ago and nine in 2021. 

It is another example of Ireland relying on other nations to police and patrol its seas and skies.

The reduction will encourage South American cartels to increase their trafficking into Europe, says ex-Garda assistant commissioner Michael O’Sullivan who retired last year as executive director of the EU agency tasked with intercepting drug shipments across the Atlantic.

The missing patrol ships are another victim of the recruitment crisis in our Defence Forces and are another symbol of our disinclination as a state to properly pay our way in matters of security and safety. This will, inevitably, come back to bite us.