Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the process and cost of procuring a new research vessel to undertake fisheries research, oceanographic and environmental research and seabed mapping and surveys; when the new vessel will be operational; and the steps which will be taken with regard to the Celtic Warrior vessel. [46443/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The tender for the design of the research vessel, to replace the current Celtic Voyager was published on 6 November 2018. Subject to further consideration by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the tender is currently expected to be awarded in early January 2019. The build process is expected to be completed by the end of 2021 and the new vessel is likely to be operational from early 2022 onwards.

The new vessel will be a sister ship to the State's largest research ship, the 65m RV Celtic Explorerand will replace the RV Celtic Voyager.The Marine Institute's RV Celtic Voyageris Ireland's first purpose built research vessel. It has been utilised heavily since its acquisition 21 years ago and has been vital in providing marine scientists, researchers and its crew members, with many years of valued experience at sea, expanding and strengthening marine science in Ireland to help inform decisions affecting our ocean.Consideration is being given to possible uses of the existing vessel, the Celtic Voyager, including disposing of it on the open market. No final decisions have been taken in relation to this aspect.

It is planned that €4 million from the Marine Institute's vote allocation in 2019 will provide for the cost of the first phase of the building of the new vessel.

It is intended that this new 50m modern research vessel will provide critical national infrastructure to enable Ireland to address the considerable challenges of Brexit and the Common Fisheries Policy as well as climate induced impacts on our oceans. The final capital cost of the project will be dependent on outcome of the tender process.