We must be on our guard : Defence Forces chief of staff calls for more funding Navy staff shortages forced State to request support from EU agency to patrol waters
about 7 hours ago
The State’s spending on defence is one of the lowest in Europe and we “must be on our guard”, the Defence Forces chief of staff, Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett, has said.
Writing in the Mayo News, Vice-Admiral Mellett said: “We must value and invest in our defenders because in the words of the Byzantine emperor Maurice, ‘a nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.’”
The Defence Forces, he said, is “part of the bedrock that today underpins our sovereignty providing a framework for our civil society. We provide the resilience for the unexpected, like absorbing the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Spanish fishing vessel detained off Mizen Head
The Irish Naval Service Vessel LÉ RÓISÍN has detained a Spanish registered Fishing Vessel approximately 95 Nautical Miles South of Mizen Head.
Amy Nolan
The Naval Service vessel LÉ Róisín (P51) has detained a Spanish registered fishing vessel approximately 95 nautical miles south of Mizen Head.
A spokesperson for the Defence Forces said that the detention was in relation to alleged breaches of fishing regulations.
The vessel will be escorted to port, where on arrival it will be handed over to An Garda Síochána. This is the fifth vessel detained by the Naval Service in 2021.