Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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170.To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update on the timeframe in which it is intended to procure a new multi-role vessel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35327/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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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. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) processes.

The Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published in November 2023. It builds on the publication of the Commission Report itself in February 2022, the High Level Action Plan in July 2022 and the Early Actions Update published in March 2023. This plan sets out an ambitious programme of work to move to Level of Ambition 2, known as LOA2, by 2028 and the significant and fundamental change for the Defence Forces that will be delivered across the Commission’s recommendations.

The Commission's recommendations for the move to LOA2 includes the recommendation for an accelerated programme of naval vessel replacement, to ensure a balanced fleet of nine modern ships is reached by early in the next decade.

In this regard, Marine Advisors have been appointed to support the procurement of a Multi-Role Vessel (MRV). A Prior Information Notice was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in January to advise the market of my Department's intention to run a tender competition to procure a MRV . Work is currently underway that will inform next steps.

I remain committed to ensuring the Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, are equipped to carry out the roles assigned to them by Government.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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171.To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when it is expected that the Naval Service will be at its full complement of personnel and vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35949/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The strength of the Naval Service, as at 31 July 2024, stood at 728 personnel.

As the Deputy is aware, as one of the recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Permanent Defence Force capability equivalent to Level of Ambition 2. This will require an additional 2,000 personnel by 2028, including a civilian component, beyond the 9,500 establishment figure that was in place at the time of the Commission’s report.

While induction numbers fluctuate from year to year, Budget 2024 allocated €1.23 billion for the Defence Sector, which included a provision for the recruitment and training of a net additional 400 personnel in 2024. I have fully acknowledged the current staffing challenges in the Defence Forces, which are most acute in the Naval Service, and work is ongoing to counter these. A range of recruitment measures, along with financial and non-financial retention incentives which include significant progress on pay and allowances, have been implemented to address such challenges

The Naval Service currently has a fleet of eight Commissioned vessels. Five of the vessels are available for operations including the four P60 class vessels which conduct patrols on a rotation basis. In addition to the four P60 class vessels, the L.É. Aoibhinn achieved Initial Operational Capability in July 2024 and has been undertaking patrols in the Irish Sea ever since. The L.É. Aoibhinn will reach Full Operational Capability before year end 2024.

The Naval Service has adopted its current operational posture in order to streamline operations, bolster existing capabilities, and ensure optimal resource allocation in the Naval Service. This consolidation of the Naval Service fleet is in response to the declining numbers of staff in the Naval Service, particularly in technical appointments. Any decision to deploy additional vessels to sea will be dependent on the availability of suitably qualified and experienced personnel to crew the vessel.

The following is the composition of the fleet:

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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172.To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the actions his Department is talking to recruit and retain talent in the Naval Service, particularly at the level of technical and technological expertise; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35950/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have previously acknowledged the particular difficulties in attracting and retaining certain specialties in the Naval Service, in the current buoyant employment market .

To address such challenges, a number of recruitment initiatives have been introduced including an increase in recruitment age to 39 years for those roles that had recruitment age below that, and to 50 years for Direct Entry Officer specialists; ongoing recruitment of General Service Recruits and Direct Entry specialists; progression of recommendations of a recent external validation of the Defence Forces recruitment process which includes the outsourcing of the Naval Service recruitment function; engagement of a marine specialist recruitment body, and the establishment of a Joint Induction Training Centre to provide initial training to recruits from all three branches of the Defence Forces.

In addition, a range of financial and non-financial retention initiatives are being implemented. These include an increase in the mandatory retirement age to 62, the doubling of the Naval Service Patrol Duty allowance, the further extension of the Naval Service tax credit, and the extension of the provision of private secondary healthcare to all members of the PDF, in addition to significant progress on pay.

It should be noted that an interest in a career in the Naval Service remains strong with 1,174 applications being received in 2024 as at 31 July.