Vol. 542 No. 1
17 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason Ireland has not been considered for the location of the new £12 million European Union maritime safety agency; the case which was made on behalf of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20971/01]
A Council working group, on which my Department is represented, is currently examining the draft regulation establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency, EMSA. The provision in the proposed regulation relating to the mechanism for deciding on the location of the EMSA has not yet been settled in the working group. However, it appears likely that the location will fall to be decided by the member states.
The proposed agency is one of a number of new European Union agencies for which a location has yet to be decided.
The normal practice in these matters is that decisions on location are taken at high political level and as a package. This process is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
A key factor in the decisions eventually made tends to be the balance between member states with regard to the location of existing EU agencies. There are currently two European agencies located in Ireland, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the Food and Veterinary Office, which was only secured for Ireland in the late 1990s, whereas no EU agencies are currently located in Finland, to take the example of another small member state.
My Department is advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs, that in these circumstances, the likelihood is that, the chances of success would be too slight to justify the expense and effort involved in mounting a serious bid to have the EMSA located in Ireland.
