The Irish national seabed survey is a major €32 million initiative by the Government which demonstrates its commitment to the marine and geoscience sectors. Announced in 1999, it will have surveyed close to 500,000 square kilometres of Ireland's offshore territory by the time the current funding ceases at the end of 2005. The extension of the programme beyond 2005 will be clarified in the context of a strategic review which is currently under way. When this review is completed, I will consider its contents and address the future of the seabed survey beyond 2005.
Ireland is fortunate in having a seabed area that is approximately ten times its land area. Prior to the start of the Irish national seabed survey, we had no systematic information on this highly valuable national resource. As a result of this initiative, all of the deep-water region and much of the shallow coastal survey will be completed by the end of 2005. The survey is managed by the Geological Survey of Ireland, a division of my Department, in conjunction with the Marine Institute and additional strategic partners. The deep water surveys were contracted to the private sector while most of those in shallow water have been undertaken by the vessels of the Marine Institute.
The focus of the work has shifted gradually from data collection to the creation of value-added products of national significance. For example, products designed for the fisheries sector will facilitate efficient and environmentally-friendly operations. The results will inform policy development and decision-making at national and European levels in areas such as fisheries, environmental protection and maritime safety. At the same time, the programme supported the upgrading of the national skills base with over 1,000 persons involved in varied capacities, and it has strengthened Ireland's profile in seabed mapping internationally. Through co-operation with the third level sector, the programme has also supported research in the marine and geoscience sectors which will be of international significance. The challenging quantities of data acquired are stored in a state of the art data management system at the Geological Survey of Ireland, backed up by a data storage and delivery system maintained by NUI Galway.
It is recognised that additional work remains to be completed in the coastal and shallow seas beyond 2005. These areas are of critical importance to sectors such as shipping, fisheries, heritage and leisure, and will be considered in the course of the ongoing strategic review. I am pleased to acknowledge the success of this major undertaking, which I realise is widely regarded as a considerable achievement and of significant benefit to Ireland.
The programme was not designed to examine hydrocarbon reserves and has no direct impact on their extent. However, the techniques used may lead to greater understanding of the offshore setting of hydrocarbons.
