Vol. 511 No. 5
43 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when he will establish the national maritime college as promised in the review of An Action Programme for the Millen nium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24745/99]
The Government will continue to develop Ireland's marine resources including the mercantile marine sector to maximise their contribution to economic and social well-being.
The revised An Action Programme for the Millennium makes a commitment to the promotion of the maritime sector in particular by establishing a national maritime college and a maritime development office.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a Bill putting the new MDO on a firm statutory footing was introduced today. The new MDO will promote, assist and market shipping and shipping services, promote Ireland as a centre for ship registration, advise me on policy initiatives and on the overhaul of the fiscal and legislative framework for the mercantile marine.
The establishment of the new national maritime college is a also a key commitment in the revised action programme.
An expert interdepartmental working group which I set up to examine the costings, financing and timing of the new maritime college is currently finalising its work. Before it completes its report to me for submission to Government the group is examining an independent consultant's report assessing the feasibility of a possible public private partnership approach to the design, build, financing and operation of the new national maritime college. I am advised that the group will finalise its report and submit it to me very shortly which will enable me to bring a fully developed and costed proposal to Government for consideration and decision.
We have also secured a range of fiscal reliefs for both seafarers and their employers; a scheme to refund Employers of seafarers the PRSI they pay in respect of seafarers has this year been extended to 2004; a special £5,000 seafarers income tax allowance, introduced in 1998, has this year been extended to seafarers servicing our offshore sector in Irish waters; and beneficial rates of corporation tax remain in place for shipping.
In ongoing discussions with the Minister for Finance we are considering the case for incentives and fiscal measures beyond what is already in place and we are looking closely at the possibilities of modifying the existing reliefs to make them both more attractive and more effective. We are also closely monitoring the introduction of tonnage taxes in other member states and especially developments on that front in the UK.
