Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy. We are committed to ethical equipment procurement. It is the ideal. Also, in terms of an earlier question from Deputy Mick Barry, we need to procure ships, aircraft, equipment and weaponry. There is a need so there is a need for a defence industry. It seems there are mixed views about that in the House. There is almost a sense here that we should have no industry in Ireland at all but I take the Deputy's point. There was a time when we could, and did, construct and ship-build in this country. It was many decades ago. I take the Deputy's point in terms of Belfast and its capabilities. I generally agree with what the Deputy has just said there. In terms of the multi-role vessel, I cannot give the Deputy an exact timeline here. It is a major defence platform. One of the issues is we need to enhance our procurement capacity. I have said it, more generally, and we are doing that. We will only know the cost of the MRV once the tender competition is concluded and then, obviously, we will have to provide for it in terms of capital frameworks, etc. I do not have specific timelines yet but we have notified the EU.

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