A naval vessel sold by the Government two months ago is back on the market - at six times the price.

The L.E. Aisling is now back on sale in the Netherlands, despite its new owners confirming that no extra work has been done on the vessel.

The boat now carries an asking price of well over €650,000 - after being sold for just €110,000 less than two months ago.

Industry experts say there are reasons why the original sale price would be slightly lower - but the discrepancy is now likely to lead to inquiries at the Public Accounts Committee.

The boat was decommissioned last summer, having been replaced by a newer class of vessel, after 36 years of service.

It was purchased by a Dutch shipbroker, who was the highest of only two bidders, at auction in Cork on March 23rd.

The agency now selling the boat, which is moored in Rotterdam, has now put a reserve price of $750,000 (around €680,000) on the vessel.

A sales agent told Today FM that there had been no refurbishment or reconditioning work carried out - meaning the vessel is, in effect, in exactly the same condition as it was when relinquished the Naval Service.

But he added: "There are a few buyers around already and [one] first inspection [has been] already held. I don’t expect this too last long on the market."

He also explained that it was "not uncommon that vessels are bought for speculation" - and that an asking price is not always what a vessel sells for.

Extra costs associated with buying the boat

Auctioneer Dominic Daly, who oversaw the sale, said the Irish Government's sales price would be lowered because the buyer would also have to cover the cost of transferring the vessel into civilian ownership.

While this process was pending, they would be forbidden from sailing the vessel off its own steam - and would have to tug it to its new Dutch home, which could cost anywhere between €50,000 and €100,000.

This would bring the overall costs of the purchase to around €200,000 - but the gap between that cost, and its new sales price, has caused concern.

PDFORRA, the association for members of the Defence Forces, says a much higher reserve price should have been set when the boat was auctioned.

Alan Farrell, a Fine Gael TD and member of the Public Accounts Committee, says his committee is likely to hear further scrutiny into the sale: