asked the Minister for Education whether he is satisfied with the present level of marine training leading to marine qualifications in elementary engineering and instrumentation; and how this country's nautical training compares with that of Great Britain and the EEC countries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marine Training.
32.
I am satisfied that the marine training facilities provided by this country are adequate and compare favourably with those provided in Great Britain and the EEC countries. The Deputy will be pleased to know, for example, that the certificates of competency granted by the Department of Transport and Power are recognised as being equivalent to the corresponding certificates awarded in Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary state what marine training facilities are available, apart from the marine college in Dún Laoghaire run by Captain Walsh?
There are training facilities in the Crawford Technical Institute in Cork which caters for engineering cadets and also for serving engineer officers. There are four centres providing courses for marine radio telegraphy certificates, two in Dublin—the Atlantic College and the College of Technology, Kevin Street— and one each in Cork and in Limerick.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary does not suggest that these four or five centres where boys may be trained in the art of navigation and marine information of all descriptions, are sufficient for the country?
Is the Deputy suggesting that they are not adequate because of the quantity or because of the quality of the education given there?
Because of the quantity. I am not critical of the quality.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary give some idea of what the training facilities are in Limerick, now that he has mentioned it?
There are some of them there and I never knew much about them either.
I have yet to find them.
There is some doubt about that reply.
I do not know whether or not Deputy Coughlan is a member of the vocational education committee in Limerick. If he is, he will find out the details from them.
I certainly am and was a member 20 years ago. I am not satisfied. There are no facilities for training in Limerick—none whatever.
I suggest the Deputy would communicate with his own committee and he will find out what is available.
There is some doubt about the veracity of that reply.