Ireland will be left defenceless and with no naval service in three years unless action is taken on the pay crisis in the Defence Forces.

Newly-elected TD and former army ranger doctor Cathal Berry delivers the stark warning today.

He also believes Irish waters are being thrown open to drug cartels, people smugglers and Brexit profiteers.

Deputy Berry stormed into the Dail on a campaign to fight for the defence forces in Februarys election.

He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: There is a feeling a sense in the Defence Forces that they are still regarded as cannon fodder, just to be lined up in broad daylight and walked into the enemy machine guns.

There wont be a naval service in two or three years time unless action is taken urgently.

What did Elvis say? A little less conversation, a little more action please. Thats what we need now.

In a wide-ranging assault on the shoddy treatment of the army, navy and air corps, the Kildare South representative also:

He said: If its business as usual the country is in trouble. We wont be neutral anymore we will be completely defenceless.

Fifty sailors have left the navy this year alone, the equivalent of a whole ships company have left during the Covid crisis. We know there is a recession coming and people are leaving because they cant afford to stay.

He added: Of the three services the navy are in the worst situation.

A third naval ship is going to be tied up in October unless immediate action is taken.

We have two ships in Cork harbour sitting there and no sailors to crew them.

If a third ship is tied up you will have about 100million worth of Irish hardware, assets, just sitting in Haulbowline rusting away, its an absolute scandal.

Its not a victimless issue because the countrys search and rescue capability is depleted.

Brexit is literally six months away and the UK will probably end their transition period on WTO [World Trade Organisation] terms which means the fisheries issue will be a massive problem.

You are going to have all the EU fishery fleets that used to fish in UK waters, fishing in Irish waters and there is going to be issues on the high seas in terms of monitoring and policing.

Deputy Berry added: Another big role of the defence forces is to deter and detect and to intercept drug runners that are coming across the Atlantic, coming up from the Azores.

The deterrent factor is gone. All the druggies know there is massive gaps in the defences at the moment.

And they can land whatever they want on the Wild Atlantic Way because the Wild Atlantic Way is a mecca for tourists but it is also a mecca for drug dealers.

You are looking at the smuggling of people, weapons, ammunition, drugs, we are absolutely wide open here and it is just not good enough.

Sailors are paid an allowance of 55 to go to sea for 24 hours the equivalent of one euro an hour after tax. Other public servants are paid more including marine institute personnel who get 270 or sea fisheries protection workers who get 105 tax free.

Deputy Berry said: There is that prevailing sense that nobody could give a monkeys about them. And the reason being they cant strike,

If that is sorted the problems in the navy will disappear overnight. Four million euro a year would solve the navy problem overnight. He also claimed the loss of army personnel could also be halted by addressing allowances.

He said: Retention is absolutely vital, particularly as it is more difficult to recruit people because of Covid.

All branches of the forces have been manning the Covid-19 frontline.

Three naval vessels were deployed in Cork, Dublin and Galway as support for community testing centres. The air corps were flying tests to Germany while army medics were in nursing homes swabbing staff and residents.

The army also established a test centre in Dublins Aviva Stadium.

Deputy Berry said: Our defence force paramedics were in the same vehicles as the national ambulance service guys comparing their allowances and going Wow.

Family men saying Why am I working for pittance when I can get a job on multiples of what Im on?

Why would you compromise your childrens education or your spouses quality of life for a Government department who couldnt give a rats about you? Theyve had enough.

Originally posted here:

Ireland 'will be left defenceless and with no navy in three years', TD warns - Irish Mirror