Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

189. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on the acquisition of two ships by the Irish Naval service; the cost of purchase, transport and refitting; the works that are to be carried out and timeframe for refitting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24607/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. Naval Service vessels are multi-tasked in that they undertake general surveillance, security and other duties while conducting their primary day-to-day tasking of providing a fishery protection service. At any one time the Naval Service can have a number of ships that are on active operations around the Irish EEZ whilst a number of others are undergoing routine resupply, maintenance and down time for ships companies.

Following the decommissioning of three ships last year and with the recent arrival from New Zealand of two Inshore Patrol Vessels, the Naval Service fleet now stands at eight vessels. One ship, LÉ Niamh, is in the process of a mid life refit which is expected to be complete in Quarter 3 2023, and a second ship LÉ Róisín, has been placed in operational reserve. There are four operational ships currently available.

The Inshore Patrol Vessels were purchased for €26 million on a government-to-government basis from New Zealand in 2022. Following a year long regeneration and modification programme, the ships were transported to Ireland with shipping costs of some €2.9 million. Additional costs associated with further work and other equipment required prior to the ships commencing operational service in 2024 are expected to be in the region of €3 million. As this project is still ongoing, figures are provisional and exclusive of VAT.