ONE OF THE Taoiseach’s first engagements as the new Minister for Defence has been to launch the new LÉ Samuel Beckett.
The vessel was commissioned today at a naming ceremony beside the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin city centre.
An Taoiseach and Minister for Defence attended the naming ceremony for the new Naval Service ship, which was carried out by a niece of Samuel Beckett, Caroline Murphy.
Kenny said that the naming and commissioning “carried with it a great sense of pride and anticipation for all Naval Service personnel”.
LÉ Samuel Beckett will be a tremendous asset to the Naval Service. I know that the ship’s first captain, Commander Ken Minehane and his crew are eagerly looking forward to working up the new ship to its full potential.
Kenny added that the Naval Service “presents a wide range of challenging roles to all of its personnel, now more than ever before”.
Naval Service ships assert the integrity of our territorial waters; they protect both the waters of the country and the European Union. The continuing success of the Naval Service in fulfilling the roles of fishery protection, marine search and rescue and its many other tasks has resulted in a much more widespread public appreciation of the importance of the Naval Service to the entire community.
There are two new ships, which are larger vessels than LÉ Roisin and LÉ Niamh at a length of 89.5m.
The cost of the two new ships is €108m. LÉ Samuel Beckett replaces LÉ Emer, which was decommissioned and sold late last year. The ship will have a main crew of 44.
Work on the second ship, LÉ James Joyce, is “well advanced”, said the Defence Forces, and it should be completed early in 2015. LÉ James Joyce will replace LÉ Aoife.
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