Catherine Murphy
Question:502. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if the contract to replace LÉ Eithne will be put out to tender before the end of 2022. [55525/22]
View answerTuesday, 8 November 2022
Questions (502)
Written answers
As the Deputy will be aware, the White Paper on Defence sets out an ambitious programme of capital investment in the Naval Service. The replacement of the flagship LÉ Eithne with a multi-role vessel (MRV) is an important element of the Defence Equipment Development Plan and is provided for in the Government's National Development Plan as a major capital project. It is the Government’s intention that this new vessel will provide a flexible and adaptive capability for a wide range of maritime tasks.
Following a public tender competition, Marine Advisors have been appointed to support the procurement of the MRV. This work is ongoing and will inform a public tender competition that is expected to commence in 2023.