Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2017
680. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the date the last survey was carried out on the LÉ Aisling; the survey’s findings regarding the seaworthiness of the vessel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24535/17]
View answer681. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of the agreement reached between his Department and Malta when the LÉ Aoife was gifted to the Maltese naval service; when the last survey was carried out on the LÉ Aoife; and the survey’s findings regarding the vessels seaworthiness. [24536/17]
View answer702. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department or the Naval Service had received a request to donate the decommissioned LÉ Aisling to the Somali fisheries protection authority in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24578/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 680, 681 and 702 together.
Naval vessels have a life expectancy of around 20 – 25 years. The three ships most recently due for replacement with the Naval Service were LÉ Emer, commissioned in 1978, LÉ Aoife, commissioned in 1979 and LÉ Aisling, commissioned in 1980.
Extensive surveys were carried out on these vessels given their age and service, and as the vessels has exceeded their design life an enhanced survey routine was in place prior to their decommissioning to reduce the risk of hull failure due to corrosion and to maximise the availability of the vessels for operational service until their decommissioning.
The current Naval Service ship replacement programme has seen the delivery of three new Naval Service vessels in the past three years to replace the LÉ Emer, LÉ Aisling and LÉ Aoife. LÉ Samuel Beckett was commissioned in May 2014, LÉ James Joyce was commissioned in September 2015 and LÉ William Butler Yeats was commissioned in October 2016.
The value of this three-ship contract with Babcock International was just over €199 million, inclusive of VAT. A contract for an additional sister ship was placed with Babcock International in June 2016 at a cost of €54.3m, bringing investment in the new ships programme to over €250 million since 2010. The fourth ship is scheduled for delivery in mid 2018.
Following her withdrawal from service in 2015, the former LÉ Aoife was transferred for a nominal sum to the ownership of the Maltese Armed Forces on humanitarian grounds following a request from the Maltese authorities, to endeavour to deal with the ongoing refugee crisis in the region. The donation of LÉ Aoife to the Maltese Armed Forces was an exceptional measure given the particular circumstances of the humanitarian requirements of the Maltese maritime patrol region.
Neither my Department nor the Naval Service received any formal request for the donation of the decommissioned LÉ Aisling to the Somali fisheries protection authority.
