Colm M. Hilliard
Ceist:127 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for the Marine the way in which £2.896 million provided under Vote 30 subhead F1 in the Estimates for Public Services for 1993 will be spent.
Written Answers. - Marine Research and Development.
The provision in question relates to expenditure on Marine Research and Development by the Department.
This expenditure relates to the nonpay costs arising from ongoing regulatory and research programmes undertaken by the Fisheries Research Centre in relation to sea fisheries, inland fisheries, aquaculture and marine environment.
The provision also reflects this year's gross funding for the Department's measures under the Marine sub-programme of the STRIDE, Science and Technology for Regional Innovation and Development, Operational Programme for Ireland, 1991-93. This expenditure, which is 75 per cent funded by the European Regional Development Fund, covers (1) the upgrading of equipment, expertise and facilities at the Fisheries Research Centre to support the development of the fishing and aquaculture industries; (2) the provision of specialised equipment for the national research vesselLough Beltra; and (3) the establishment of a national centre for the management and verification of marine data.