A military court of inquiry will be established today into the circumstances surrounding the killing of a sailor aboard the LE Eithnemore than two years ago.
The inquiry will examine the practices and procedures on board the vessel at the time Able Seaman Brian Gorey (21), Castletroy View, Limerick was killed.
While the inquiry is being conducted by a military court, it is not, however, a tribunal type investigation. Individuals will be interviewed by members of the court and there is no set time frame or venue for the inquiry.
The court of inquiry will be carried out by between three and five senior members of the Naval Service who are based aboard the LE Eithne.
The inquiry will also use the transcripts from the criminal case of Sean Lundon (21), an apprentice mechanic from James Connolly Park, Tipperary, who received a five-year sentence for the manslaughter of Mr Gorey last June at the Central Criminal Court.
It is expected to examine a range of issues, such as the availability of alcohol aboard the vessel after hours and whether there was adequate monitoring of activities on the ship when it was docked at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, in Dublin, in April 2001.
While disciplinary action may result from the conclusions of the inquiry, it is seen by the Navel Service as more of "an internal audit".
The court of inquiry will be conducted in private, and there is no obligation on the Defence Forces to make its findings public.
The court had been established following the death of Mr Gorey but was suspended when criminal proceedings began.