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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 1

Other Questions - Loran-C Navigation System.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

11 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the provision of a mast for the Loran-C navigation system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23334/01]

As I stated in response to a similar question on 14 June there have been significant developments regarding the provision of a mast for the Loran-C radio navigation system.

At that time I informed the House that there had been an unexpected change of policy by Norway and Germany at a meeting last May of the international steering committee which manages the Loran-C radio navigation system. At that meeting, those countries formally gave qualified notice of their withdrawal from the system at the expiry of the current agreement in 2004. Thus, the House will appreciate the future of the Loran-C system is uncertain. The next meeting of the steering committee will take place in early November.

As a result of this unexpected development, Ireland, in the likely absence of Loran-C, must now determine its own marine radio navigation strategy. In this regard I have directed that Ireland should proceed to assess the implications for Ireland of the qualified notice of withdrawal from the system by the German and Norwegian members, draw up our own policy on maritime radio navigation aids in consultation with all stakeholders and having regard to the relevance of the principle of avoiding a sole means dependence – and to the vulnerability of GPS in that context – and to the availability of other possible aids to navigation, and, in the meantime, to suspend any work on the installation of a Loran-C mast in Ireland.

My Department, together with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, are drawing up a document setting out an assessment of the state of radio based aids to navigation around Ireland and the options for the future. This document, which will contain an assessment of the current position and outline the options for Ireland in light of current developments, will be used as the basis for a consultation process with all stakeholders. The views of the stakeholders on the scope and the form of the consultation process were sought at a recent meeting of the Aids to Navigation Users' Consultative Committee.

My representative will report to me on the status of the Loran-C system and the international agreement following the meeting next month. I understand that the implication of the events in the US of 11 September for the system, and radio based position fixing generally, will be reviewed at this meeting.

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