Written Answers Nos. 801-819
801. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a breakdown of current Garda numbers for each of the stations in County Louth and a comparative figure for Garda numbers when he came to office. [1493/13]
View answer804. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the impact on County Louth in relation to the cuts announced for An Garda Siochána in Budget 2013; if there will be a reduction in Garda numbers in County Louth as a result of these cuts; if he will detail those reductions. [1528/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 801 and 804 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of each Garda Station in the Louth Garda Division, on 28 February 2011 and 30 November 2012, the closest dates for which figures are readily available, was as set out in the table.
|
Louth Garda Division |
28/02/11 |
30/11/12 |
|
Ardee |
30 |
28 |
|
Castlebellingham |
3 |
4 |
|
Collon |
6 |
6 |
|
Louth |
1 |
1 |
|
Clougherhead |
4 |
3 |
|
Drogheda |
99 |
94 |
|
Dunleer |
5 |
5 |
|
Blackrock |
5 |
4 |
|
Carlingford |
6 |
6 |
|
Dromad |
7 |
7 |
|
Dundalk |
132 |
123 |
|
Hackballscross |
8 |
5 |
|
Omeath |
5 |
4 |
|
TOTAL |
311 |
290 |
The Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation and I have no direct function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and Regional level to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public.
802. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the action, if any, he has been taken against the promoters of concerts in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, last summer 2012 which led to serious public order issues in the area; if he will take action to prevent further use of the Phoenix Park for such events in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1521/13]
View answerAs I set out in my response to the Deputy on 28 November 2012, the Garda Commissioner's report on the review arising from the incidents which took place at the concert in question set out conclusions and lessons to be learned from the the review as well as proposed responses.
The Commissioner's report included recommendations concerning risk assessment, venue suitability, and other relevant considerations in the particular context of any future proposed events in Phoenix Park. As the Deputy will be aware, the licensing of such events is not a matter within my authority but I fully expect that the lessons learned will be taken into account by all concerned in this regard. I am not sure what the Deputy has in mind when he refers to actions against the promoters but I note the commitment of An Garda Síochána to do everything within its power, and to work with all the parties involved, to ensure that there is no repetition of the type of incidents which took place at the concert in question.
803. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has raised the serious recent incidents of violence in Belfast with the Minister for Justice of the Northern Ireland Executive; if he will raise in particular the outrageous attacks on the home of a SDLP councillor in Belfast by certain criminal elements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1522/13]
View answerI have spoken with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, regarding the violence in Belfast and other towns in Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
We are at one in our strong concern at the attacks on the PSNI and the threats that have against public representatives from all parties, including attacks on their homes and offices. I am sure this concern is also shared by this House.
There is also a widespread concern at the ongoing disruption to civic life in Northern Ireland, particularly to normal, commercial activity in Belfast. This ongoing street violence simply cannot be justified. There is no excuse for repeatedly subjecting the PSNI to vicious attacks and the elements who are orchestrating this violence are seeking only to create chaos. The threats and attacks against public representatives are also outrageous and must cease. If there are political issues to be addressed in Northern Ireland, the only way to do so is through peaceful and committed engagement in the democratic process. In this connection, the Deputy will be aware that the Tánaiste, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, First Minister and Deputy First Minister will meet later this week and will discuss recent events.
805. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details on the work of the Interdepartmental Committee on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, namely the members of said committee; if a work programme has been developed by the committee; if the committee has made any findings with regard to what is needed for ratification of the convention; if any reports have been received by the committee and the details of said reports; the organisations or groups the committee has engaged with; if the committee has prepared any advice for the Minister and details of said advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1590/13]
View answerThe Inter-Departmental Committee on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under the chairmanship of my Department comprises representatives of the Departments of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Defence; Health; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Education and Skills; Transport, Tourism & Sport; Environment, Community and Local Government; Social Protection; Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of Public Works. Its purpose is not to make findings as such but to identify the legislative and administrative actions required to enable the State to ratify the Convention and advise the Minister accordingly.
The committee has identified as part of its work programme, issues to be considered by various Government Departments. It is a matter for those Departments to determine whether any actions are required in relation to these issues in advance of ratification and report back to the Committee. This work is ongoing in all Departments. As part of the work programme the Committee also held a work shop for Departmental officials last year to assist Departments in their work in this regard.
Reports commissioned are for the purpose of assisting the Committee to carry out its work programme of putting together advice for me on outstanding issues that may need to be addressed in advance of ratification of the convention and as such are not themselves for publication. The Committee is aware of the concerns that have been raised by Disability organisations in relation to the UNCRPD through their contact with those groups via the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group. The work of the Committee is still on going and when a comprehensive list of outstanding issues has been identified the Committee will engage formally with the Disability Stakeholders.
806. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding immigration status in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [1594/13]
View answerThe person concerned is a failed asylum applicant. Arising from the refusal of her asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 30th May, 2008, that the then Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the then Minister setting out the reasons why a Deportation Order should not be made against her. She was also notified of her entitlement to apply for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
The person concerned submitted an application for Subsidiary Protection. When consideration of this application has been completed, the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome.
In the event that the application for Subsidiary Protection is refused, the position in the State of the person concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. At that point, all representations submitted, including the information included with the Deputy's Question, will be considered before a final decision is made. Once a decision has been made, this decision, and the consequences of the decision, will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned.
The Deputy might wish to note also that a representative of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service wrote to the person concerned on 9th January, 2013 requesting specific information relating to her personal and domestic circumstances. Upon receipt of the requested information, the position in the State of the person concerned can be considered further.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
807. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to tackle the cost to the State of free legal aid; if he will provide up to date details of the costs involved and the number of clients involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1607/13]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the provision of legal aid falls within two separate categories, i.e civil legal aid and criminal legal aid. Details in respect of each category are as follows:
Civil Legal Aid
In respect of civil legal aid, state funding of €32.922 million was allocated to the Legal Aid Board in 2012 and this level of funding has been maintained for this year. This covers funding for civil legal aid and advice, including legal services for asylum seekers, and also funding for the provision of the Family Mediation Service, for which the Board assumed responsibility in late 2011. There has been a significant increase in demand for civil legal aid services in recent years, with a greater number of people financially eligible as a result of the economic downturn. Final year figures for the number of cases handled in 2012 are not available but the outturn is likely to be similar to 2011, when there were, in total, over 23,650 legal aid and advice cases handled.
In view of the substantial demand for civil legal aid and the waiting times to access services, the Legal Aid Board is focusing on maximising the effectiveness of the resources available to it to deliver a meaningful service. Amongst the measures taken recently to this end are initiatives to increase the use of mediation to resolve family disputes, which leads to reduced legal costs, and the introduction of a 'triage' service to ensure that clients receive initial legal advice within one month of making an application for legal services. The Board is also striving to make its law centre network as effective and efficient as possible and the recent introduction of a new legal case management system will help in this regard. I should also point out that the Board introduced new conditions for retaining barristers in August 2012 which will result in lower fees paid to barristers in cases where they are instructed by Legal Aid Board solicitors.
Criminal Legal Aid
Expenditure on criminal legal aid for each of the past three years is set out in the table along with data as provided by the Courts Service on the number of legal aid certificates granted in the District Court. It should be noted the number of certificates does not equate to the number of persons granted criminal legal aid as more than one certificate could be granted to any one person. The number of legal aid certificates granted by the District Court in December 2012 is not yet available.
|
Year |
Number of Certificates Granted |
Expenditure(€ million) |
|
2010 |
55,412 |
56.544 |
|
2011 |
54,092 |
56.116 |
|
2012 |
46,293 (to end of November) |
50.534 (to end Dec) |
Under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962, the Courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of criminal legal aid. An applicant for legal aid must establish to the satisfaction of the court that his/her means are insufficient to enable him/her to pay for legal representation him/herself. The Court must also be satisfied that, by reason of the gravity of the charge or exceptional circumstances, it is essential in the interests of justice that the applicant should have legal aid.
The nature of the Scheme is that it is demand-led, driven by the incidence of crime, detection rates and prosecutions of cases through the courts systems. This renders it difficult to anticipate and control costs. Since taking office I have introduced a number of adjustments to the fees available under the Scheme. These included regulations which were introduced in 2011 which imposed a reduction of 10% in the fees payable in the District Court. Fees payable in the Circuit and higher courts were also decreased by 10% following the reduction in the fees payable by the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecution practitioners. A reduction of 50% was applied to payments in respect of travel and subsistence. As the Deputy will see from the table above, following these and other measures introduced in the course of 2011, a 10% reduction in expenditure was recorded in 2012 compared with 2011. This is the first substantial reduction ever recorded under this scheme.
Parallel with the cuts in fees in 2011, the Task Force on Cost Reductions on Criminal Legal Aid highlighted areas of change related to the structures and systems of the courts which could contribute to cost reductions, not just for legal aid but across the system in general. Following that process, the Chief Justice and I established a Working Group towards the end of 2011 to monitor implementation of these efficiency measures in the Circuit and District Courts and to identify further measures which could be adopted. This Group, whose work is on-going, is pursuing initiatives which can contribute to achieving efficiencies and cost reductions in the system such as, for example, introducing a pilot programme centralising custody cases in four court Districts and the introduction of the pre-trial procedure on a pilot basis in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and the Midland Circuit Criminal Court.
Finally, a new Legal Aid Bill is planned to update and strengthen the system of granting legal aid including transferring responsibility for the administration of the Scheme to the Legal Aid Board. I hope it will be possible to publish the Bill during the course of this year.
808. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times he has revoked the refugee status of recognised refugees awarded by his Department during his period as Minister; the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1743/13]
View answerThe revocation of a declaration of refugee status is governed by section 21 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) and section 11 of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
Since becoming Minister on 9 March 2011, refugee status has been revoked in the cases of 57 individuals. While grounds for revoking an individual's refugee status can vary from case to case, the main ground that arises is where it has been found that the applicant provided false or misleading information to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner or the Refugee Appeals Tribunal during the course of their asylum application.
809. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if staff in a university library will be subject to the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau Bill should they take on transition year students under the age of 18 on work experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1804/13]
View answerThe National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 was signed into law on 26 December 2012.
This Act will require that persons providing work experience to children must be vetted. The Act defines a "child" as a person under 18 years of age.
Schedule 1 to the Act sets out the types of activities which would constitute 'relevant work or activities relating to children'. The provision of educational or training activities is covered by paragraph 5 of Schedule 1. In addition, paragraph 10 of the schedule covers any activities in a university or third level education institution where a necessary and regular part of the activity involves contact with or access to children.
.
810. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider a waiver in relation to the requirement for period of residence outside the State under the Irish Nationality and Citizen Act 2004, in view of the person's (details supplied) employment with the United Nations; if their employment as an Irish citizen will be considered as public Service on an exceptional basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1818/13]
View answerSection 15A of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant the application for a Certificate of Naturalisation to the non-national spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen if satisfied that the applicant has, inter alia, had a period of one year's continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application; had, during the 4 years immediately preceding that period, a total residence in the island of Ireland amounting to 2 years; and intends in good faith to continue to reside in the island of Ireland after naturalisation.
Any period of residence outside the island of Ireland, during which the applicant for a certificate of naturalisation to which this section applies was married to or in a civil partnership with and living with his or her spouse/civil partner who is in the public service, shall be reckoned as a period of residence in the island of Ireland for the purposes of calculating residence under Section 15A. The Act defines “Public service” when used in relation to the employment of a person as employment in the service of the Government, whether or not in the civil service, or in the service of any public corporation or authority maintained wholly or partly out of public funds or in respect of which a Minister of State is responsible. Where this is the case, the requirement to intend to reside in the State after naturalisation is not applicable.
I have asked the immigration service of my Department to examine the particular circumstances of the case referred to by the Deputy and my officials will be in contact with the Deputy in due course.
811. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for the District Courts service; his plans to close the sittings of a court (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1877/13]
View answer812. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for the District Courts service; his plans to close the sittings of a District Court (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1878/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 811 and 812 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and have been informed that the Courts Service has been reviewing all aspects of its organisational and operational structures throughout the country with the specific objective of ensuring that the Service can continue to maintain the delivery of front line court services and an appropriate level of service to court users. I understand that no court venue has been singled out for or indeed exempted from the review and that both Birr and Edenderry District Courts have been identified as venues to be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case.
In this context the Courts Service has established a general framework within which such venues are being assessed taking into account a range of criteria such as caseload, proximity to an alternative venue, physical condition of the building, availability of cells etc. The likely impact on other Justice agencies, such as An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service, is also taken into account. The review identified a range of venues nationwide which, based on the criteria applied, could be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case in respect of each identified venue which has now commenced.
However, the Courts Service has assured me that no decision in relation to the future of Birr and Edenderry District Courts will be taken without prior consultation with local interested parties and court users. This consultation has commenced and the views received will be taken into account in the decision making process which will be a matter for the Courts Service Board.
813. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if reports regarding anti-social behaviour at an estate (details supplied) in County Kerry will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1881/13]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is within the Killarney Garda Sub-district. Local Garda management is aware of a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour at the location referred to. The incidents in question are receiving appropriate Garda attention. A Garda is assigned to liaise with the community and the Residents' Association in the area and I am advised that a strong working relationship is in place between the community and local Gardaí.
I am further informed that the area is patrolled regularly by uniform and plain clothes crime prevention patrols, which are augmented by Detective Unit and Community Policing Unit patrols together with the Divisional Traffic Unit when available.
Local Garda Management closely monitors such patrols, and other operational strategies in place, in conjunction with crime trends and policing needs of the area concerned in order to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources, and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public. I am advised that Garda Management is satisfied that a full and comprehensive policing service is being delivered in the area concerned and that the situation is being kept under review.
814. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a list of the bodies, other than statutory bodies, that were fully funded by his Department in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1909/13]
View answer818. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a list of the bodies, other than statutory bodies, that were partially funded by his Department in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2040/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 814 and 818 together.
I wish to refer the Deputy to pages 94-101 of the 2012 Revised Estimates for Public Services which can be accessed via the following link http://per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/REV-2012-Final.pdf .
A number of non-statutory bodies, which are under the remit of my Department, received direct funding from Vote 24 during 2012, for example, the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, the Forensic Science Laboratory, the Parole Board, the Probation Service and the State Pathology Service.
Depending on the definition applied, our records indicate that the number of "other than statutory" bodies which might come within the ambit of the Deputy's Questions could run to thousands. Given the potential number of bodies and the detail requested a disproportionate amount of staff time and resources would be required in order to attempt to provide the Deputy with such information. If the Deputy has in mind a specific group of bodies I would be happy to examine any request for information in respect of those bodies.
815. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding policing in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1954/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and Regional level to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the strength of the Kerry Division, broken down by District and station, as of the 30 November 2012, the latest date for which figures are readily available is set out in the table.
|
Division |
District |
Station |
Total |
|
Kerry |
Caherciveen |
Baile An Sceilg |
1 |
|
Caherciveen |
19 |
||
|
Castlemaine |
1 |
||
|
Glenbeigh |
1 |
||
|
Killorglin |
12 |
||
|
Portmagee |
1 |
||
|
Sneem |
1 |
||
|
Valentia Island |
1 |
||
|
Total |
37 |
||
|
Killarney |
Beaufort |
1 |
|
|
Castleisland |
25 |
||
|
Farranfore |
2 |
||
|
Kenmare |
9 |
||
|
Kilgarvan |
1 |
||
|
Killarney |
51 |
||
|
Total |
89 |
||
|
Listowel |
Ballybunion |
6 |
|
|
Ballyduff |
1 |
||
|
Ballyheigue |
1 |
||
|
Brosna |
1 |
||
|
Knocknagoshel |
1 |
||
|
Listowel |
42 |
||
|
Lixnaw |
1 |
||
|
Tarbert |
2 |
||
|
Total |
55 |
||
|
Tralee |
Abbeydorney |
1 |
|
|
An Daingean |
10 |
||
|
Annascaul |
1 |
||
|
Ardfert |
2 |
||
|
Baile an Fheirtearaig |
1 |
||
|
Castlegregory |
2 |
||
|
Fenit |
1 |
||
|
Tralee |
99 |
||
|
Total |
117 |
||
|
Divisional Total |
298 |
Senior Garda Management are satisfied that a comprehensive policing service continues to be delivered and that current structures in place meet the requirement to deliver an effective and efficient policing service to the community.
816. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the investigations into the bombing at Belturbet, County Cavan, of December 1972 which caused the death of two young persons; if he is satisfied with the level of cooperation from statutory agencies outside the jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1956/13]
View answerThe bombing at Belturbet on 28 December 1972 was a senseless act of violence in which two young people tragically and needlessly lost their lives.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that a thorough investigation into the bombing was carried out at the time by the local Gardaí. They were assisted in this by experts from Garda Headquarters and from the Army. The Garda authorities have indicated to me that the investigation would have been conducted in accordance with normal procedures in place at that time and that there was also liaison with the authorities in Northern Ireland. Although every avenue of enquiry was pursued at the time, there was, however, no evidence to allow the perpetrators of this atrocity to be brought before the Courts.
I am further informed by the Garda authorities that the investigation into these murders remains open and should any new evidence emerge from any source, it will be actively pursued by An Garda Síochána.
817. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the future security of courthouses in Killorglin, Dingle, Caherciveen and Kenmare County Kerry; if the public can be assured that these court services will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1976/13]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and have been informed that the Courts Service has been reviewing all aspects of its organisational and operational structures throughout the country with the specific objective of ensuring that the Service can continue to maintain the delivery of front line court services and an appropriate level of service to court users. I understand that no court venue has been singled out for or indeed exempted from the review and that Killorglin, Dingle, Caherciveen and Kenmare courthouses have been identified as venues to be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case.
In this context the Courts Service has established a general framework within which such venues are being assessed taking into account a range of criteria such as caseload, proximity to an alternative venue, physical condition of the building, availability of cells etc. The likely impact on other Justice agencies, such as An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service, is also taken into account. The review identified a range of venues nationwide which, based on the criteria applied, could be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case in respect of each identified venue.
However, the Courts Service has assured me that no decision in relation to the future of Killorglin, Dingle, Caherciveen and Kenmare courthouses will be taken without prior consultation with local interested parties and court users. This consultation will commence shortly and the views received will be taken into account in the decision making process which will be a matter for the Courts Service Board.
819. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if there is currently a plan, involving costs and a timetable, on future acquisitions of other vessels or upgrading for the Irish Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58199/12]
View answerA strategy for the replacement of Naval Service Offshore Patrol Vessels is currently in train. A contract was signed in October, 2010 with Babcock Marine in the United Kingdom for the provision of two new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV’s). The acquisition of these modern new vessels, combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair on the other vessels in the fleet, will ensure that the operational capability of the Naval Service is maintained at a satisfactory level and that the most up to date equipment is available to Naval Service personnel. The cost of the provision of the two new ships is €108m, exclusive of VAT. In addition, the cost of providing a weapons system for the ships, similar to the systems on LE Roisin and LE Niamh, is €7.8m, exclusive of VAT. Preparations for the construction of the ships have commenced in Appledore, UK. The build of the first ship is well advanced and the build of the second ship will commence in the near future. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in early 2014. The second ship will follow one year later.
I am satisfied that the equipment issued to the Naval Service is in keeping with the most modern requirements and the highest international standards. The ongoing investment in the Naval Service will ensure that this remains to be the case.
