merrion street

Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., this morning (Thursday 4 September 2014) attended the Naval Service Commissioning Ceremony of the 52nd Naval Service Cadet Class at the Naval Base, in Haulbowline, Co. Cork.

Speaking at the Commissioning Ceremony of the 52nd Naval Cadet Class, Minister Coveney offered his congratulations to the newly commissioned officers and remarked that “Today is a celebration of real achievement and marks the passing of a great milestone in the lives of these new officers.”. The 10 members of the 52nd Naval Cadet Class commenced their training programme in September 2012. Three of the cadets completed their training onboard the Naval Service’s newly commissioned vessel the L.É. Samuel Beckett, and are the first Cadets to complete their training onboard. The L.É. Samuel Beckett is the first of three new ships for the Naval Service. The second ship, the L.É. James Joyce, is currently under construction and an order has also been placed for the 3rd Offshore Patrol Vessel for the Naval Service. Speaking of the new ships the Minister stated that “These modern vessels will be a great asset to the Naval Service and combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair on the other vessels in the fleet, will ensure that the Naval Service continues to meet its required operational capability”.

Minister Coveney also paid tribute to the staff of the Naval College involved in preparing and training of the 52nd Naval Cadet Class. “They deserve a special mention for the care and dedication, which they brought to the task of developing and nurturing these young people for their future careers. The fruits of their labour stand before us today and they can be proud of the good work they have done”.