Advisers to help select naval service flagship

MARINE advisers have been appointed to help procure a multi-role vessel to replace the naval service’s decommissioned flagship, LÉ Eithne.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who is also the defence minister, provided the update. He said the work of the marine advisors will inform, “in due course”, a tender competition in line with the public-spending code.

LÉ Eithne (P31) was towed out of Haulbowline last month and is set to be recycled.

Meanwhile, Mr Martin said that the two inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) that were delivered to Cork last May to replace the decommissioned LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara are expected to become operational later in 2024, following a programme of work, crew familiarisation, and training.

“In addition to achieving a balanced fleet of nine vessels by 2028, the move to LOA2 [Level of Ambition 2] also provides that all modern vessels be double-crewed to ensure each vessel spends a minimum of 220 days at sea per year, to be phased in over the course of the vessel-replacement programme,” he said.

Mr Martin said there are also a number of initiatives to counter staffing challenges. Among these, he said, was phase three of naval-service recruitment.

Mr Martin said psychometric testing for general-service recruitment was paused in 2023, on a pilot basis, for six months.

“The Defence Forces have advised that a pause of a further six months is warranted to allow for a fair determination on whether the pause was positive or negative,” he said.

He said there has been “significant progress on pay”.

Mr Martin said he is satisfied that such measures, together with those outlined in the implementation plan for the ‘Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces’ and the strategic framework for its transformation “will ensure the naval service is equipped and staffed appropriately, in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government”.