Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I obviously agree with the Deputy that ships should be replaced when they come to the end of their useful life. That normally happens after 30 years and it has to be done. Members of all parties support that. The LE Eithne and the LE Ciara will have 30 years service completed in 2014, while the LE Orla will reach that longmark in 2015. What needs to be done is staring us in the face. I accept that there are new issues, particularly drugs, to deal with. There are many other challenges and that is why we are looking at a wide range of ships in this instance. I have great confidence in those who are negotiating this whole process for us.

I mentioned earlier that consultation is taking place with the relevant stakeholders and there is a major analysis under way of the deteriorating weather conditions being experienced in the Atlantic by the Naval Service. There is a good deal of terrain to be dealt with. This is based on the work being done by the vessel replacement study group from data supplied by the Meteorological Office. They are looking at that aspect and at the need for different sizes of ships. The OPVs will be in the 80 m to 90 m range, similar to the LE Róisín and LE Niamh and the EPV will be larger, in the 130 m to 140 m range. They are going about their work in the right way and will certainly report back to the House.

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