asked the Minister for the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department's present method of calculating the age of a ship, that is, from the date of laying the keel, is inhibiting the expansion of the Irish merchant marine; if he will adopt the year of manufacture of a ship as the basis for calculation; and, in view of the urgency in this regard, if he will ensure that a decision in the matter is published before the end of the year.
35.