IRELAND’S PARTICIPATION in the EU’s drug smuggling “strike force” is having a significant impact, retiring head of the Naval Service Cmdr Frank Lynch has said.
Cmdr Lynch, whose final day as flag officer was marked with a parade and fleet “sail past” in Cork harbour yesterday, said a naval service “can never have enough ships”, but paid tribute to the Government for its decision to purchase two new vessels.
He also said he believed former minister for defence Willie O'Dea's decision not to salvage the sail training ship Asgard IIafter its sinking two years ago was the right option.
Cmdr Lynch has 42 years' service, having been the youngest commanding officer appointed to a sea command in 1977, when he took over the LE Folaat the age of 28. His final sea posting was commanding officer of the LE Eithne, from 1993 to 1995.
A native of Co Galway, he joined the Naval Service in 1968 and served as a cadet on one of the old corvettes, LE Maeve. He has witnessed "dramatic" changes, including a move from rowing boats to high-speed rigid inflatables, replacement of Morse code with sophisticated satellite communications systems and recruitment of women.
Cmdr Lynch played a key role in the service’s reorganisation during a review from 1996 to 1997, and served as camp commandant with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon.
He was appointed flag officer commanding the Naval Service on July 22nd, 2002, and was the first commodore to oversee appointment of a female commanding officer at sea, Lieut Cdr Roberta O'Brien, who took the helm of the LE Aislingin 2008.
Significant drug interceptions involving the service during that period have included the Lucky Day cannabis haul off the southwest in July 2007. The service played a key role with Customs and the Garda in intercepting the €400 million cocaine smuggling operation on the yacht Dances with Waves 240km (150 miles) off Mizen Head, Co Cork, in 2008.
Cmdr Lynch said Irish co-operation in Europe’s Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics), based in Lisbon, Portugal, was working well, with very good intelligence feeding into seizures elsewhere. “Drugs will always be a problem, however,” he added.
“There’s always someone trying to crack the system. After all, didn’t prisoners build a plane in Colditz [German prison camp] during the second World War?”
Given the expanse of Irish waters – more than 10 times the size of the island – a navy could never have enough ships for all of the duties involved, including fishery protection, he said.
However, he paid tribute to the Government for committing to build two new vessels at a cost of more than €90 million to replace the ageing LE Emerand LE Aoife.
Cmdr Lynch was a member of Coiste an Asgard when then Mr O’Dea reversed his decision to salvage the Asgard II sail training brigantine after it sank off northwest France on September 11th, 2008.
Cmdr Lynch said it was the right decision, as it was likely that the ship could have cracked its hull on impact with the seabed, although video footage suggested it was relatively intact.
He said he recognised the power of sail training, particularly for young people requiring help on that “difficult cusp” between the ages of 16 and 20.
However, it was imperative that trainees sailed in safe vessels.
“It was a great credit to the Asgard II master and crew that everyone was rescued, and it was an awful pity that we couldn’t get a replacement vessel . . . quickly.
“I hope it will be revisited when the economy recovers,” Cmdr Lynch said.