Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
175. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the number of naval ships purchased by the State in the last thirty years; the costs associated with each purchase; and if her Department plans to purchase any more. [12164/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service to carry out their roles as assigned by Government.
The procurement of new vessels for the Naval Service has been among the most significant investments by my Department in recent years. Most recently two inshore patrol vessels, LÉ Gobnait & LÉ Aoibhinn, were commissioned into State service in 2024 at a cost of approximately €37 million including upgrade works, following their purchase on a second user basis from the New Zealand Government .
Four new offshore patrol vessels were delivered as part of the Naval Service Ship Replacement Programme commencing in 2014. The four ships, LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce, LÉ William Butler Yeats and LÉ George Bernard Shaw cost approximately €250 million in total and were commissioned in to service in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019 respectively. Planning has commenced in my Department for a midlife extension programme for these vessels as provided for in the Defence Sectoral National Development Plan.
The oldest vessels in the fleet, LÉ Róisín and LÉ Niamh were commissioned in 1999 and 2001 respectively at a cost of approximately €50 million. These vessels have recently completed a mid life extension programme at a cost of €28m which will extend their useful life by a projected 10 years.
The Commission on the Defence Forces specifically recommended a programme of naval vessel replacement under Level of Ambition 2. This recommendation was accepted in principle by Government. As set out in the Update to the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces which I published on Tuesday, decisions on the shape and timing of the Naval vessel replacement to ensure a balanced fleet by early in the next decade will be made and subsequently progressed from 2026 and beyond. This decision will be made in the context of the Naval Service Regeneration Plan and the Capability Development Programme 2028 – 2040.
The capital funding of €1.7 billion allocated to Defence in the latest National Development Plan covering the period 2026 to 2030 represents an increase of €600 million on the previous baseline of €1.1 billion. The revised capital allocations will enable targeted progression on key elements of Government commitments within LOA 2 objectives.
A long-term Capability Development Programme covering 2028 to 2040 is under preparation in my Department which will identify and cost, at a high level, the capability requirements for the Defence Forces out to 2040 across all domains of operation, including the maritime and subsea domain. I have also requested the Defence Forces to prepare a Regeneration Plan for the Naval Service to address the challenges faced in recent years and to plot a path forward for the future direction of the Naval Service.
In finalising these plans, decisions will be made on the composition of the balanced fleet of modern ships and the greater use of technologies. These decisions will also be informed by other relevant information, including the new National Maritime Security Strategy which my Department has taken the lead on and which I expect to publish shortly.
