Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking the question. There seems to bit of a Cork contingent here tonight, for a change. I wish to read into the record a statement from the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Gaeilge, the Gaeltacht, arts, culture and heritage, Deputy Ó Snodaigh. It is to do with the scrapping of the LÉ Eithne. It states:

Opting to scrap the vessel without even doing a cost-benefit analysis into the alternative of using it as a museum is bad policy-making. Even worse is the fact that this wasn't even discussed with the Minister responsible for our cultural heritage and museums.

It will cost a significant sum of money to scrap the vessel, a cost that would be better put towards developing it as a tourist attraction that could recoup money by drawing tourists from far and wide, generating investment and creating jobs locally. This could form a must-see draw in Cork's tourist offering, similar to Naval museums in other countries, while also complementing the other maritime museums/exhibits across Ireland such as in Dún Laoghaire, Belfast, etc.

Other cities spend millions building replicas of ships to showcase their maritime history. We don't have to start from scratch, we have a stellar example of Irish shipbuilding and naval excellence in our hands, ready to be used to tell our island nation's naval story, if we would only take the chance.

It would be a disappointing waste to dispose of the LÉ Eithne for good.

My uncle served as chief petty officer on the LÉ Deirdre. I also have cousins in the navy, as well as cousins who are retired from it. I wanted to raise this issue because of the potential for tourism. We have always said that 0.1 of an investment gets fourfold back. The vessel is there. We have the harbour. We are trying to promote tourism. Spike Island is down there and liners come in at Cobh. This would be an amazing testament to the shipbuilders because this ship was built in Verolme dockyard. The amount of history there is a testament to our shipbuilders and the crews who sailed on the ship. As mentioned in the statement, on top of that is the possibility of jobs. We are also promoting our proud history. It would be an amazing testament to mark that for the people who were involved throughout the history of the ship.

I know it costs a lot of money to scrap these ships. When the Naval Service has to buy a ship, it is extortionate money. The latest information is that nearly €16,000 has been spent on just moving the ship from Haulbowline. That is money that could be invested better. The LÉ Aisling was sold at public auction in 2017 for €110,000. It was not a good investment to let a ship like that go. That is why I wanted to raise the matter, even just to go back and do a cost-benefit analysis, balancing whether it is worth scrapping this ship and towing it away or making it a museum and having it showcased in Cork, where we are very proud to have that naval base and its history and that of shipbuilding in Cobh. It is a no-brainer to promote that. We already have plenty of liners coming in and we will take many more. We also have the history of the Titanic and the Titanic Experience Cobh. This would be one of the best, no-brainer complements to the history of Cork. I am interested to hear what the Minister of State's response will be, even to see the cost-benefit of this in tourism and jobs.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. I thank the Deputy for his statement and interest. In July 2022, the then Minister for Defence accepted the recommendation of the joint civil military working group on decommissioning that the decommissioning and disposal of three Naval Service ships, namely, the LÉ Eithne, LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara, should be progressed as soon as practicable. In effect, these three ships had reached the end of their working lives and were not in a condition for continued operations.

As the Deputy is aware, LÉ Eithne was originally constructed in Verolme Dockyard in Cork and was completed in 1984 as a helicopter patrol vessel. She was the last ship of the Irish Naval Service to have been built in Ireland and, as such, occupies a significant place in Irish maritime history. As flagship of the Naval Service, LÉ Eithne was the first Irish Naval Service vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean to North America when, in 1986, she sailed to the United States, visiting Hamilton, New York and Boston. She has since gone on to cross the Atlantic several times. In 2006, she travelled to Argentina, marking the first deployment of an Irish Naval Service vessel to the southern hemisphere. The ship participated in events in Buenos Aires to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral William Brown, considered the father of the Argentine navy. In addition to her diplomatic missions, in May 2015, LÉ Eithne was the first Irish ship to deploy on Operation Pontus, a humanitarian rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea.

LÉ Eithnewas involved in 22 rescue operations, rescuing in the region of 3,376 migrants during this operation. LÉ Eithnewas also used to assist in our national response to the Covid-19 pandemic when she was deployed to Cork city in 2020 in support of Operation Fortitude acting as a forward logistics base and training platform in support of the HSE. The primary day-to-day task of the LÉ Eithnewas to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. She undertook thousands of fisheries patrol days over the course of her service. Like all Naval Service vessels,LÉ Eithnewas multi-tasked and also had the ability to undertake general surveillance, search and rescue, diving operations, drugs interdiction and other duties while conducting her primary day-to-day task of providing a fishery protection service.

A number of disposal options were considered for LÉ Eithne, including the possible donation of the former flagship as a museum piece or tourist attraction; the disposal by recycling at an EU approved ship recycling facility; or disposal by way of sale at public auction. A number of organisations, including Dublin Port and the local authorities in Cork and Limerick indicated their interest in taking LÉ Eithne as a museum piece or tourist attraction following her decommissioning in 2022. Officials from the Department of Defence and the Naval Service engaged extensively with these interested parties but following, in some cases lengthy, discussions and inspections, all these parties withdrew their interest in taking the ship. Dublin Port commissioned two reports in addition to a ship survey looking at the feasibility of taking LÉ Eithneas a historic museum ship in Dublin Port. However, Dublin Port subsequently withdrew its interest in taking the vessel.

When, despite the best efforts of all involved, it was not possible to identify an alternative use for LÉ Eithnepost-decommissioning, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence decided that the vessel should be disposed of by recycling it in an environmentally sound manner, along with two other decommissioned Naval Service vessels, LÉ CiaraandLÉ Orla. Recycling the ships gives certainty on the ultimate destination of the vessels and deals with them finally in an environmental manner in line with Government and EU policy.

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is interesting. Listening to the first half of the Minister of State's response, I thought it was brilliant that she outlined the whole history of the LÉ Eithne for me. We will lose all of that. I am disappointed by the fact that the contracts have been signed, but contracts can be pulled. I will go to both Ministers who are responsible because, as I said, the amount of history attached to this boat and the harbours can be seen in the first half of the Minister of State's response. I cannot believe that the councils were not interested. There must have been money involved, but surely a State agency, such as the Defence Forces or Naval Service could do something. It is an absolute travesty that we will lose such an historic part of our culture and our proud peacekeeping missions. The Minister of State named so many places, that it was the first ship to sale across X, Y and Z and spoke about all the humanitarian stuff. I am stumped for words and I am not stumped very often.

The second half of the Minister of State's reply states that the likes of Dublin Port and others were not interested. I still make the assumption that the Irish Government should invest money in this. It belongs to the Irish people. The history belongs to the Irish people. It is a massive mistake when you have so much potential in the story, the history and the location it is in, that this resource would just be signed off under a contract, towed away to Belgium and scrapped and that should be the end of it. Perhaps in another 100 years when the centenary of the scrapping of the ships comes, we will read about it. I thank the Minister of State for the answer. We do not always get the proper answer. I will still follow up with the Tánaiste and Minister to see whether there is any way of reversing this because it would be a wonderful asset.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To reiterate, a number of organisations, including Dublin Port and the local authorities in Cork and Limerick indicated their interest in taking the LÉ Eithne as a museum piece or a tourist attraction, following her decommissioning in 2022. However, despite extensive engagements and lengthy discussions and inspections all these parties withdrew. Dublin Port commissioned two reports in addition to a ship survey. A decision has been made that the ship will be decommissioned.

Earlier in 2024, following a competitive process, officials from the Department of Defence signed a contract with a Belgian company, Galloo, to recycle the three ships. This company is contracted to remove the ships from Cork harbour and tow them to the ship breakdown yard in Ghent, Belgium for recycling in line with the EU ship recycling regulation. The company is on the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities so we can be confident that it will deal with the ships appropriately in an environmentally friendly manner. Preparatory work has been done on the ships in Doyle Shipping Group's dockyard in Cork in advance of recycling. Final preparations are under way and it is planned that the ships will be towed to Belgium in the coming weeks, weather permitting.

I understand the Deputy's disappointment. My understanding is that every effort was made was to try to find a lasting home for the LÉ Eithne. As the Deputy stated correctly, the LÉ Eithne has a proud history. I am here to respond to the Topical Issue on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence and that is the answer that is set out in front of me.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

However, I will relay the Deputy's disappointment.