Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Defence the number of seagoing vessels currently available and seaworthy to the Naval Service at any given time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40136/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am advised that there is a fleet of eight ships available to the Naval Service, six of which are currently in operational service. Both LE Eithne and LE Orla are undergoing scheduled maintenance at present. In order to maintain maximum availability and serviceability, major maintenance for each vessel is planned well in advance and is incorporated into an annual patrol plan for the Naval Fleet. A ships replacement programme is in train and in that context a contract was signed in October 2010 with Babcock Marine in the United Kingdom for the provision of two new offshore Patrol Vessels. The build of the first ship is well underway and it is scheduled for delivery in 2014. The second ship will be delivered a year later.

The acquisition of these modern new vessels, combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair on the other vessels in the fleet, will ensure that the operational capability of the Naval Service is maintained at a satisfactory level and that the most up to date equipment, is available to Naval Service personnel to carry out its various roles.