George Bernard Shaw entered service in 2019 but is described as having been in reserve since August 2023. Limited funding to operate a fourth patrol ship is the suggested explanation, with other interpretations acknowledged. Keeping the newest hull in reserve could preserve it while the older ships absorb routine use. If one of those ships became unusable, personnel and systems could move to the newer vessel. This reasoning also leads to Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, and William Butler Yeats being suggested as the three likely upgrade recipients, without confirming that selection.
Notable Point · 22:06-23:16
Why keep the newest Irish patrol ship in reserve?
Keeping George Bernard Shaw in reserve may preserve the newest hull for a later transfer of personnel and equipment, if funding limits the active fleet to three ships.