asked the Minister for Defence if it is intended to replace the corvettes in the Naval Service with more up-to-date and serviceable ships.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Naval Service Corvettes.
69.
As our corvettes are likely to give satisfactory service for a number of years yet, their replacement is not at present contemplated.
Would the Minister agree that these corvettes became useless as an effective fighting weapon or as anything else about ten years ago and would he consider getting rid of them and getting something up to date?
The main purposes for which these vessels are used are for the training of naval personnel, for fishery protection and to co-operate in air and sea rescue operations. In view of the fact that there has been a recent survey and that the result of that survey was that they would be useful for the next eight or ten years, it is not proposed to replace them.
Would the Minister not agree that the corvettes are useless for fishery protection as they can be seen miles away?
I would not agree.