Previous suggestions had put the cost of the project at €200m but that has now been increased. The Irish Government has increased the budget for a new naval ship, which will be the largest in the State’s history, to €300m.
Last week the Journal reported that the Department of Defence was set to release documents associated with the tender process for the new Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) which will allow the Irish Naval Service respond to large-scale humanitarian crises.
Large-scale humanitarian crises
Those documents have now been released on a European Union portal. Multiple security sources said that the increase in budget would mean a more capable ship than first envisaged.
The release reveals that the ship would be an ‘auxiliary hospital, cargo, tanker and roll-on-roll off vessel’. This means that it will be able to carry vehicles which will be able to drive off a ramp while it is deployed.