Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
151. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to report on his Department’s assessment of the sonar capabilities of the Defence Forces; what plans his Department is considering to improve sonar capabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56767/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy priority, as Minister for Defence, is to ensure the operational capacity of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the capability development and equipment development planning process.
There is a significant body of work currently underway to ensure that the Defence Forces have the required capabilities with equipment projects in various stages of the project lifecycle.
I am advised that the procurement process for a multi-beam sonar system for the P60 class of vessels is well advanced and is currently at the tender evaluation stage of a public procurement competition, with all due diligence being conducted prior to the awarding of the tender.
In addition, a civil-military working group has been established to progress a project for the enhancement of subsea awareness capabilities, as recommended in the Commission on the Defence Forces and referenced in the Detailed Implementation Plan published in November 2023. This project is underway and the Needs Phase which sets out the rational and justification for the project is due to complete in quarter 1 of 2024. As this project progresses through the phases of the new Infrastructure Guidelines, various options will be assessed to determine the capability most suited to fulfil the requirement.
