Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide a report on the proposed crewing of the newly received refurbished P70 ships; where the ships will be stationed; the area the ships will operate in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14186/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 35 together.

Two Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) were purchased for €26 million on a Government to Government basis from New Zealand, to replace the now decommissioned LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara. The ceremonial handover of the vessels took place in Auckland last week, representing the culmination of a year long project to regenerate and modify the vessels operational seaworthiness standards. The work was undertaken by the New Zealand Defence Forces and overseen by the Irish Naval Service and Department of Defence.

Both vessels are expected to complete their acceptance testing and commence transportation to Ireland by the end of this month, and with a transit time of at least a month, the vessels are expected to arrive in Cork in May.

On arrival, the vessels will undergo a comprehensive programme of works including crew familiarisation and training. It is expected that these vessels will be in a position to commence operational service in 2024. The core crew complement of each vessel will be between 20 and 24 suitably qualified and experienced personnel. The specific ranks and specialisations of these personnel will be an operational matter.

The intention is to operate the vessels primarily on the east coast of Ireland. The vessels will initially operate from the Haulbowline Naval Base.

With regard to the replacement of LÉ Eithne, marine advisors have been appointed by my Department to support the procurement of a Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) to replace the now decommissioned former flagship. This work is underway and will inform a public tender competition in due course. It is a priority for 2023 to make further progress on this project. The MRV is an important element of the Defence Equipment Development Plan and is provided for in the Government's National Development Plan as a major capital project. It is the Government’s intention that this new vessel will provide a flexible and adaptive capability for a wide range of maritime tasks.

With regard to the optimum number of naval vessels and naval personnel, the High Level Action Plan agreed by Government on the Commission on the Defence Forces contains a range of recommendations in relation to future capabilities of the Naval Service both in terms of vessels and personnel which have been accepted in principle by the Government, including an accelerated programme of Naval vessel replacement to ensure a balanced fleet of nine modern ships by early in the next decade, and that all modern vessels be double crewed to ensure each vessel spends an absolute minimum of 220 days at sea per year, with this being phased in over the course of the vessel replacement programme.

In addition, the Naval Service Regeneration Plan was approved in 2021 with the aim of addressing the issues facing the Naval Service in the context of human resources, operational capacity and infrastructure, and this plan is being progressed and monitored by a high level civil -military team in my Department.

Notwithstanding the current staffing challenges, the Naval Service continues to carry out all roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection and maritime security operations surveillance in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and their ongoing capacity to do so is carefully monitored. I am advised that the fleet is managed and maintained to ensure maximum availability to meet operational requirements.