Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 February 2024
146. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department has been contacted by local authorities interested in acquiring the decommissioned naval vessel, LÉ Éithne, to be turned into a naval or maritime museum; if so, to provide an update on these requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5884/24]
View answer147. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department has carried out a feasibility study in relation to proposals to turn the decommissioned naval vessel, LÉ Éithne, into a naval or maritime museum; if so, to provide an update on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5885/24]
View answer148. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for an update of LÉ Éithne; the stumbling blocks that were identified preventing it being turned into a naval or maritime museum as suggested by many local authorities and port companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5881/24]
View answer149. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for an update on the future of the decommissioned LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5882/24]
View answer150. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to outline in detail the process that is carried out when considering how to dispose of former naval vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5883/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 150, inclusive, together.
In July 2022, the then Minister for Defence accepted the recommendation of the joint civil-military Working Group on Decommissioning that the decommissioning and disposal of three (3) Naval Service ships, namely LÉ Eithne P31, LÉ Orla P41, and LÉ Ciara P42, should be progressed as soon as practicable, taking into account the age and condition of the vessels and the resourcing and maintenance implications of retaining the vessels.
Following the decision to decommission and dispose of the ships, the method of disposal came under consideration. A number of disposal options were considered, including (1) Possible donation of LÉ Eithne as a museum piece / tourist attraction; (2) Recycling at an EU approved Ship Recycling Facility; (3) Sale by Public Auction; and (4) a Government to Government transfer of LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara.
A number of organisations, including Dublin Port and the local authorities in Cork and Limerick, indicated their interest in taking LÉ Eithne as a museum piece / tourist attraction following her decommissioning. The Department of Defence engaged extensively with these interested parties but following, in some cases, lengthy discussions, all these parties withdrew their interest in taking the ship.
My Department did not itself carry out a feasibility study in relation to turning LÉ Éithne into a naval or maritime museum, but I am informed that Dublin Port commissioned two reports in addition to a ship survey looking at the feasibility of taking LE Eithne as a historic museum ship in Dublin Port. However, Dublin Port subsequently withdrew their interest in taking the vessel.
When, despite the best efforts of all involved, these discussions were not successful in identifying an alternative use for LÉ Eithne post-decommissioning, I decided that the vessel should be disposed of by recycling in an environmentally sound manner along with two other decommissioned Naval Service vessels, LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla.
Following a competitive process, a preferred bidder has been identified to remove the three ships from Cork Harbour and to recycle them in line with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and relevant national regulations. Contract negotiations are underway and it is expected to sign a contract shortly with the preferred bidder.
