Documents reveal bill for Ireland’s largest naval ship is likely to reach €300m

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.

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.

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