Question:
109 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the current position on the progress being made to build the promised national maritime college in Ringaskiddy, County Cork. [14557/00]
Written Answers. - National Maritime College.
The Government has now formally approved the establishment of a national maritime college. The new college will be a state of the art centre of excellence for maritime training, capable of meeting Ireland's seafarer training needs into the future. In establishing the college the Government is ensuring that third level education in the maritime disciplines in Ireland will be second to none and will be available to those of our young people who wish to pursue maritime careers.
The college is to be built on a ten acre site at Ringaskiddy provided by the Department of Defence. It will service all the needs of the Merchant Marine and Naval Service in a unique collaborative venture between the service and the Cork Institute of Technology.
As the Deputy is aware, an interdepartmental expert working group, chaired by my Department and with representatives from the Departments of Education and Science, Finance, Defence, together with CIT, the Naval Service and FÁS, examined the costings, financing and timing of the establishment of the new national maritime college. Having considered all the funding options the Government has decided that the construction of the college will be undertaken as a public/private partnership. My Department is at present consulting all the players in the shipping sector, including the Irish Chamber of Shipping, the representative bodies for shipbrokers, ship agents and master mariners, to consider how the new college can best meet their educational and professional training needs.