An increase in a budget set by the Irish Government for a new Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) to serve the Naval Service, which will easily be the largest ship in the State’s history, in now to cost €300m.

The Department of Defence, according to The Journal.ie which also reported last week, was set to release documents associated with the MRV’s tender process of the planned newbuild. This will allow the Naval Service to be better equipped in responding to large-scale humanitarian crises.

Documents about the MRV, a first for Naval Service operations, have since been released on a European Union portal, where they reveal a flexible vessel to carry out maritime tasks for domestic and overseas including the ability to transport personnel for operational roles.

The project for the new vessel known as a Prior Information Notice, show documents that permit prospective shipbuilders to examine the project in advance of a full tender which will be released later in the year.

Prior to the original budgeted amount for the MRV, suggestions had put the cost of the project at €200m but that has now been significantly increased by additional €100m.

According to numerous security sources, they say that the increased budget allocated to the MRV project would be based on a more capable ship, with enhanced facilities than had been first envisaged. Among the functions of the auxiliary, would consist a helicopter deck, hospital, freight cargo provision, tanker role (for bunkering) and roll-on-roll to transport vehicles.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said in the Dáil last year that the ship would replace the Naval Service former flagship LÉ Eithne, which as Afloat reported in the same year, saw the Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV) decommissioned.

More here on the plan for the naval newbuild, with a design to be based among them a Dutch Navy auxiliary, HNLMS Karel Doormen which visited Belfast Harbour at the weekend and has since departed.

The State’s purchase of the Naval Service’s largest ship in its history, which is designed to respond to humanitarian crisis, notably overseas, is set to move forward when the release of documents are to be issued across an EU platform.

The Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) project reports Journal.ie has been in the planning with the Department of Defence for many years (incl. Afloat adds a 'blueprint' based on a Royal New Zealand Navy MRV) but has stepped up a gear after the recent Commission on the Defence Forces.

According to sources, the MRV is anticipated to feature a large landing deck for helicopters, in addition the provision of other possible facilities, among them a roll-on-roll-off (ro-ro) option. This would enable vehicles like those of the Defence Forces armoured personnel carriers to be loaded on board to be tasked on deployment missions.

The newbuild, in such missions, would have the capabilities to respond to major disasters and humanitarian crises, similar to vessels that have also been assigned in the rescue of civilians caught up in warzones.

Also anticipated is that the MRV will have a large medical facility on board and to aid this, that a specialist command and control systems be incorporated in the event of large-scale incidents.

Contact was made to the Department of Defence for a statement, though a Government source, has confirmed that in the coming days, is to see documents released in regard to the tender process for the MRV project.

The newbuild project which is known as a Prior Information Notice, will be examined by prospective shipbuilders.

Speaking in the Dáil last year, Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that the ship would replace the Naval Service former flagship LÉ Eithne, which Afloat adds was decommissioned in 2022.

The cost for the MRV project is estimated to be €200m as previously reported, however it is understood that the final figure will not be decided until the tender process to prospective shipbuilders is completed.

More here on the proposed MRV newbuild in addition to Afloat's coverage of the Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Karel Doorman which visited Cork Harbour in 2021 and again the following year.