Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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384. To ask the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied as to the extent to which new sea-going vessels continue to be made available to the Naval Service or the upgrading of existing vessels and equipment in lieu thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1561/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The development of a new White Paper on Defence is underway. The White Paper will provide the future policy framework for Defence and Defence provision for the next decade. A key part of the development of the White Paper is the consideration of potential challenges to our defence and security environment that may emerge into the future given that such areas can be volatile and unpredictable. The role of the Naval Service and the ongoing Naval Service Ships Replacement Programme are part of the White Paper deliberations. The Ships Replacement Programme continues to move ahead. Following a tender competition, a contract was placed in October 2010 with Babcock Marine, UK, for the provision of two new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Naval Service with the option of a third OPV. The ships are being built in the same dockyard in Devon where both LÉ Roisin and LÉ Niamh were built.

The first of the two ships LÉ Samuel Beckett was handed over at the end of April 2014. LÉ Samuel Beckett replaced LÉ Emer which was decommissioned and sold in October 2013. The second ship which will be named LÉ James Joyce is scheduled for delivery in March 2015 at which stage it will replace LÉ Aoife, due for decommissioning shortly.

In June 2014, the Department of Defence exercised the option under the original contract to place an order for a third OPV which is scheduled for delivery in the middle of 2016.

The acquisition of these modern new vessels, combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair, will ensure that the operational capability of the Naval Service is maintained.