#NewestOPV90 - The newest addition to the Naval Service fleet, the OPV90 class LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63) was boarded by Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe yesterday Haulbowline, Cork Harbour

The Minister was welcomed on board by the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service Commodore Hugh Tully and the ship’s Captain Lieutenant Commander Eric Timon.

The ship is the same class as LÉ Samuel Beckett (P61), delivered in 2014 and LÉ James Joyce (P62) delivered in 2015. The ship recently completed successful Sea Acceptance Trials in the United Kingdom and arrived in the Naval Base last month on Saturday 23rd July, following a handover from the shipyard as previously reported on Afloat.ie

LÉ William Butler Yeats will be formally commissioned later in the autumn and is replacing the recently decommissioned LÉ Aisling (P23) in service.

Minister Kehoe said that “the arrival of LÉ William Butler Yeats and its entry into service is another key milestone in the history of the Naval Service. In light of operational demands the provision of key equipment such as this is extremely important. I am pleased that the ship is destined to play an integral part in the protection of Irish maritime waters for many years to come and will also be available to participate in humanitarian operations such as Operation Pontus in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Government remains fully committed to ensuring that appropriate resources are provided going forward to enable the Defence Forces to carry out all of the roles assigned to them. The Government has provided a significant boost in capital funding for the Defence Sector for the period up to 2021, which will allow for considerable investment in equipment and infrastructure based on the priorities set out in the White Paper on Defence.”

The Minister went on to wish the Captain and his crew the best of luck as they continue to work the ship up to full operational capacity.