Vol. 521 No. 5
82 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the concern expressed by the Maritime Institute of Ireland regarding the proposals on the future of the Naval Service contained in the White Paper on Defence which, the institute suggested, would downgrade the service to the level of a fishery protection service; his response to the criticism made in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17487/00]
I am aware of the comments attributed to the Maritime Institute of Ireland.
My overall objective as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the country has the Defence Forces that it needs and that the Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, continues to be an organisation in which people are proud to serve. That too, is the overall objective of the White Paper and I assure the House that, far from downgrading the Naval Service, the White Paper represents a major developmental opportunity for the Naval Service.
As the White Paper points out, the Naval Service has a general responsibility to meet Ireland's contingent and actual maritime defence requirements and the flotilla, which is larger now than at any time in the history of the State, provides these broad maritime capabilities. Within this context, the White Paper recognises the importance of the fact that Naval Service vessels carry with them unique characteristics as an expression of State sovereignty and political will at sea and in furthering policy objectives in the international maritime domain. Recognising the importance of the Naval Service and the need to ensure that it continues to provide these broad maritime capabilities, the White Paper confirms that the Naval Service will be developed around the provision of a modern eight ship flotilla and that there will be a process of continuous investment and vessel replacement. My decision to acquire a second state of the art offshore patrol vessel similar to the LE Róisín is evidence of my commitment in this regard.
