€98m deal for new Navy patrol ships

THE Irish Naval Service will take delivery of two new patrol vessels by 2015 to replace some of the six existing ships that are now passing their maximum 30-year lifespan.

Defence Minister Tony Killeen and Finance Minister Brian Lenihan jointly announced that Government approval had been given to the €98 million spend on two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

Mr Killeen said the Government hoped to be in a position in the next few months to sign the contracts with chosen shipbuilder Babcock Marine.