THE DEPARTMENT OF Defence said the scrapping of three Naval Service vessels was likely to cost up to €700,000 but that a public sale could not be considered in case one of the boats ended up being sold on to a “warlord”.

In briefing papers on future options for the flagship LÉ Eithne, which embarked on its final voyage this week, officials said sale through public auction would mean the department “really has no control … as to who will end up with the ship or its ultimate destination if … sold onto a third party”.

The department were fearful about what had happened to another of their old vessels the LÉ Aisling, which was sold for €110,000 in 2017 before changing hands multiple times, and later sold for €1.3 million before ending up “in the hands of a Libyan warlord.”

In a ministerial submission, officials said recycling of the LÉ Eithne and two other boats – the LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla – would be costly but “would give certainty on the ultimate destination” of the vessels.

It said recycling costs were typically based on tonnage with the two smaller boats weighing 650 tonnes each and the LÉ Eithne weighing 900 tonnes.

The submission said: “Market research has indicated that the costs involved in recycling these three ships could be up to approximately €700,000, including the cost of towing the vessels to their final destination.

“However, a more definitive cost will be known on receipt of tenders.”

Officials said there was a possibility of partially offsetting the recycling costs through the sale of a 57mm gun on the LÉ Eithne, which manufacturers BOFORs were interested in buying as “the only gun of its type still in working condition”.

Talks over donating the LÉ Eithne for use as a museum or tourist attraction had also taken place with two different county councils and Dublin Port; however, those options fell through, and the decision to recycle the boat was approved.

It said this meant there would be “no trailing obligations” for either the Department of Defence or the Naval Service.

In submissions, the department had expressed concern they could be stuck with the LÉ Eithne for a prolonged period, all the while running up costs at their Haulbowline headquarters.

In the briefing, officials wrote about how keeping the LÉ Eithne, and two sister ships, the LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara, in the Naval Basin in Cork was costly both in terms of cash and manpower.

They said security was then provided by Naval Service personnel but that this could not continue given “resource constraints” and that hiring civilian contractors might be needed.

They also warned that all three vessels would need to be dry-docked on an annual basis to check for hull integrity, and that this would cost between €200,000 and €300,000 for the LÉ Eithne and €150,000 for the other two boats.

Earlier this week, the LÉ Eithne ‘the pride of the Irish Navy’ left Cork on its final voyage ahead of recycling.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Defence said: “A number of organisations, including Dublin Port and the local authorities in Cork and Limerick indicated their interest in taking LÉ Eithne as a museum piece [or] tourist attraction following her decommissioning.

“The Department of Defence engaged extensively with these interested parties but following, in some cases, lengthy discussions, all these parties withdrew their interest in taking the ship.

“When, despite the best efforts of all involved, it was not possible to identify an alternative use for LÉ Eithne post-decommissioning, the Tánaiste decided that the vessel should be disposed of by recycling.”