Vol. 523 No. 5
153 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education and Science the expected timetable for the construction and completion of the proposed national maritime college in Ringaskiddy, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16670/00]
Ireland has to meet a binding international obligation to provide nautical training to new mandatory international standards set by the International Convention on Standards Of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995 (STCW'95), which comes into effect in February 2002. Following a Government decision in May 2000, approval was given for the establishment of a national maritime college in Ringaskiddy, County Cork, using the public private partnership model.
A site has been provided and planning for the provision of the college is well under way in my Department. An advertisement regarding expressions of interest for management consultancy services was forwarded to the Official Journal of the European Communities in August and a similar advertisement placed in the national media on 7 September. In addition, the Cork Institute of Technology recently submitted an application for outline planning permission for the new college to Cork County Council.
Although it is not possible to give the Deputy a detailed timetable for the project, it is my intention that the planning and provision of the new college is given top priority in my Department so that Ireland has a centre of excellence for nautical training and also meets its obligations under the above convention.
