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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 May 1991

Vol. 408 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Haulbowline (Cork) Dockyard.

Joe Sherlock

Question:

17 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if he has any plans to provide a permanent dry dock facility at the naval depot, Haulbowline, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is not proposed, for economic reasons, to repair the dry dock at the naval base, Haulbowline. Drydocking of naval vessels is arranged, when required, through the invitation of competitive tenders.

Will the Minister indicate the estimates he received which would make it uneconomic — in his view — to restore the dry dock facility? Will he accept that it is important for the Naval Service for strategic reasons and as a matter of prestige to have the dry dock available to them so that they do not have to look around for a facility whenever it is needed? Will he accept that the current floating dry dock facilities at Haulbowline are totally inadequate for the scale of the fleet which the Naval Service are now expected to maintain?

The old dry dock at the naval base is defunct and part of it is leased to Irish Steel Limited. The docking of naval vessels is arranged by competitive tender from the Liffey Dockyards, Dublin, or the Cork Dockyards, Rushbrooke, who normally compete for the work. The normal cost of dry docking and painting is in the region of £25,000 or £30,000, depending on the size of the vessel, and the annual expenditure on dry docking of naval vessels is, on average, about £100,000. The cost of bringing the old dry dock back into operation would be very significant and, having regard to the number of vessels in use in the Naval Service, would be uneconomic.

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