Sir, – Further to a letter by Sean Kelly MEP, published on November 9th, highlighting the current security and defence capabilities and issues that the State faces, it should also be noted the part played by Mr Kelly’s party, Fine Gael, in the decline of the Defence Forces. For most of the past decade, Fine Gael ministers have held the defence portfolio, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, during which time the capabilities and structures of the Defence Forces have effectively collapsed. Every unit of the Defence Forces is under strength, with a Naval Service struggling to put a couple of vessels to sea, and recently, when urgently required for a drugs interdiction operation, the Air Corps could only deploy one helicopter. I hope Mr Kelly will be able to impress upon his party colleagues the importance of addressing the crisis in the Defence Forces and that efforts to do so will follow. I do welcome his call for urgent attention. – Yours, etc,
CONOR HOGARTY,
Deansgrange,
Co Dublin.