The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, stated that the Irish Naval Service will only deploy ships with fully functional weapons systems. Due to a shortage of qualified technicians, fewer ships may be put to sea. Clancy reassured that any ship sent out will be operationally ready, but acknowledged the risk posed by the lack of specialists, which has resulted in crew numbers being 30% below the necessary levels. However, he indicated a positive future for recruitment in the Defence Forces by the end of 2024.