asked the Minister for Defence when he expects to be in a position to make a firm statement regarding a new boat to replace the Asgard; if he will agree to two such vessels being purchased; and if he will have the Asgard retired to Howth.
Ceisteann—Questions. Oral Answers. - Asgard Replacement.
30.
I have invited the Asgard committee to discuss with me the future of the Asgard and the acquisition of a replacement vessel. I will make a statement regarding the matter.
Will the Minister agree that the Asgard and this committee served a very useful purpose in training young people and would be go along with the idea that two vessels would be more desirable in future?
I would agree entirely with the Deputy that the Asgard committee, as it is commonly known, has done extremely good work and trained an enormous number of young people. In fact, I sailed in the Asgard across the Irish Sea and up to Caemes Bay and back. Next week I will be meeting an enlarged Asgard committee—I presume this will mean the end of the Asgard committee as such—and it will include all the members of the old committee; they have been asked by me to continue. From there on we go to the building of a new training vessel and it will then be a question for decision when the success and the demand of sail training where the new vessel is concerned has been assessed.
Would the Minister consider calling new vessels Asgard 2, Asgard 3 and so on?
The question of a second new vessel will be a matter for decision when the results of sail training have been assessed on the new vessel over a period of time.
If and when new vessels are being built, could the Minister assure us they will be built in Ireland?
The desire would be that the new vessel would be built in Ireland. The question of design is something one has to balance as between the best vessel and whether or not the best is Irish. The committee I will be meeting next week will be advising on this and I think, therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to make any statement over and above what I have already said.
A ship building company in Arklow designed and built a ship which sailed around the world and, in view of that fact, could the Minister not assure us now that he will try that company before he goes elsewhere?
The position is that the shipbuilding company referred to has submitted a design. One of the principals of that company is a naval architect. The design to which I referred will be among the designs this committee will consider. The ship referred to by the Deputy did not sail across the world. It was Gipsy Moth III and it went across in the transatlantic race with Sir Francis Chichester and, as far as I know, he won it.
He was only one. There was another one from the same stable.
I am glad to see Deputy Wilson from a landlocked constituency interested in the sea.