Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let me say it might put a bit of manners on members and they might start to appreciate what the Naval Service does for this country.

The new vessels have a longer deck area which would accommodate remotely operated submersibles and decompression chambers for divers. This is to facilitate more effective search and rescue missions, black box retrieval and a close review of the ocean environment and habitats. I can see a time when the Naval Service becomes more involved in data collection at sea, whether it is around fisheries or marine observation and so on. Defending Ireland is not just about war going capacity, it is also about defending our national assets, some 90% of which are under water, given the size and scale of our oceans. Many do not realise it, but if one counts our sovereign territory at sea, as well as our land, we would be the third or fourth largest country in the European Union. We need to be able to manage, protect and to defend those resources as well as ensuring that we undertake the other more conventional defence roles that the Naval Service has to undertake.

We are modernising the fleet, equipping and designing ships to fulfil the challenges they will face both at home and perhaps abroad, if there is a role for our Naval Service in peace operations abroad at some stage in the future, which may well be the case.

The value of these ships is roughly €70 million, when fully equipped. That is what we are budgeting for.