Vol. 498 No. 5
113 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the work undertaken by the Irish Seal Sanctuary charity; if he will assist this organisation in their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27948/98]
From time to time my Department received documentation from the Irish Seal Sanctuary, ISS. I am aware from such documentation of the work of the ISS in the care and rehabilitation of injured and distressed seals recovered from Irish national waters. I have noted that ISS states that it has been involved in Ireland's contribution to the International Year of the Ocean and is engaged in activities around the Irish coastline relating to cetacean strandings, oils spills at sea and monitoring and assistance with international conventions relating to marine matters. I am also aware that the ISS is taking a keen interest in implementation of the research, technology, development and innovation, RTDI, programme which comes under the aegis of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and involves the Marine Institute and a variety of other organisations concerned with the marine resource.
As its name suggests, the ISS is concerned mainly with the well-being of seals, which are of course marine creatures. The seals cared for by the ISS are invariably the victims of human activity or natural phenomena in the marine environment. In short, the ISS, its operations and the context in which it operates are marine-centred. It is clear that my Department does not have responsibility for marine matters. Support for the activities and operations of the ISS is therefore not a matter for my Department but rather for others who have responsibility for the marine environment and the wellbeing of marine life.
