The boat, Ard Mhuire, was detained 11 miles east of Skerries in north Co Dublin and escorted to the harbour there for allegedly failing to comply with Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) regulations.

The regulations stipulate that a boat longer than 15 metres must have a VMS system fitted.

The naval service said this was the first time a vessel had been detained for breaking that particular regulation, but said the detention came after "many warnings and notifications of the seriousness of the failures to comply with the regulation" had been issued.

Ard Mhuire is the second boat to be detained by the naval service this year.