No decision made on location for new navy base for €26m ships

LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait on their arrival at  Haulbowline naval headquarters in Cork Harbour in May 2023. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

Nearly 15 months after two former New Zealand ships costing €26m arrived to bolster the Irish navy's patrolling capability, no decision has yet been made on where they will be based on the east coast.

In August 2021, the Department of Defence confirmed to the Irish Examiner it was exploring the possibility of purchasing the ships to replace the now scrapped inshore patrol vessels LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara.

The following March, then minister for defence Simon Coveney officially announced the purchase, saying they would be primarily used for fishery protection patrols in the Irish Sea.

The ships, now named LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait, arrived at the Haulbowline naval headquarters in Cork Harbour in May 2023.

While it was stated a new navy base would be created on the east coast to berth them, the Defence Forces has confirmed no location has yet been chosen.

One of them, LÉ Aoibhinn, has undergone sea trials and according to the Defence Forces press office, has begun conducting some maritime defence and security operations.

However, the ship has yet to achieve full operational capability, and this is not expected to happen until later this year.

In a statement, the Defence Forces press office said: "The concept of operations for the IPVs [inshore patrol vessels] is for east coast operations. This will include an east coast naval base, the location of which is still to be confirmed."

LÉ Aoibhinn has begun conducting some maritime defence and security operations but has yet to achieve full operational capability.

It added once LÉ Aoibhinn was fully operational, the navy would then focus on trying to achieve the same with LÉ Gobnait. However, it was stressed this "would be subject to continued and increased recruitment and a stabilisation in personnel numbers serving". 

There is currently just one of the P60 class ships out which is capable of patrolling the Atlantic and the Irish Examiner asked when any of the other three of that class tied up would become operational again.

There was no reply to this, and it will raise concerns as the two smaller IPVs only need to be crewed by about 20 personnel, whereas the P60s require more than double that number.

Some of the P60s have been dogged by mechanical issues. But the key problem is the shortage in specialist positions — without some of these personnel onboard ships cannot go out on patrol.

The navy has again launched a ‘direct entry’ recruitment drive to attract people working in the private sector into its ranks.

It has advertised in particular for electricians, engineers, mechanics, carpenters and chefs.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Micheál Martin has announced a €8.6m communications and information services workshop is to be set up at the Defence Forces Training Centre in the Curragh Camp.

“This project will deliver a state-of-the-art facility so our troops can maintain important communications equipment used by personnel and larger vehicle-based systems,” he said.

It will cater for large vehicle-based systems, such as 18 tonne MOWAG armoured personal carriers, as well as the next generation of armoured personnel carriers, which will be wider and taller and will weigh 25 to 30 tonnes.

Mr Martin said the dedicated facility would also provide room for equipment storage, along with staff facilities including a dining area, as well as locker rooms, showers and toilet areas for personnel.