The two IPVs were bought second-hand from the Royal New Zealand Navy - and we also forked out another €3 million to transport them from the southern hemisphere to Ireland
Tanaiste Micheal Martin yesterday unveiled two new additions to the Naval Service fleet - at a cost of €26 million.
And, speaking at a ceremony at Haulbowline Naval base in Cork to commission the two vessels into the fleet, Mr Martin - who is Minister for Defence as well as Foreign Affairs - said he believed the under-strength organisation was now turning the corner in relation to recruitment. "We are on the right path. I think we are making progress this year and it could be a turning point in terms of the stabilisation of numbers.
He said a combination of Naval Service work, the addition of two C295 planes for the Air Corps and work by fisheries protection staff meant no ship came into Irish waters undetected. "And we also liaise with other countries, obviously other member states in the European Union in respect of such ships or vessels, be they merchant military that are out and about on our seas.The Tanaiste also said he wanted the practice of planes carrying weapons and ammunition for Israel flying over Irish sovereign airspace to stop - but admitted there was not much the country could do about it.
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