Vol. 431 No. 2
55 Ms. O'Donnell asked the Minister for the Marine if he will give details of work undertaken by his Department under the STRIDE Programme; the amounts expended to date; if he will give his evaluation of the results achieved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ireland's STRIDE (Science and Technology for Regional Innovation and Development) Operational Programme 1991-1993 is directed at developing research, innovation and technological capacity in the four natural resources based areas of Marine, Environment, Forestry and Food by providing an enhanced level of RTD (Research and Technological Development) facilities.
Specifically, the Department's expenditure measures under the STRIDE Programme fall under three principal headings:
(1) investment in the Department's Fisheries Research Centre (FRC) to provide essential equipment to support the fishing and aquacultural industries; (2) the provision of specialised equipment for the national research vessel Lough Beltra; and (3) the establishment of a national centre for the management and verification of marine data.
Expenditure to date on the Department's STRIDE projects amounts to £1.036 million. This has already achieved a significant upgrading of the Department's marine research capability in line with international standards.
I am satisfied that this welcome infusion of funding into marine research and technology is providing a basis for sustained development and management of the marine resource. Expenditure to date has already considerably enhanced marine research and development capability not only at the Fisheries Research Centre but also at other key centres of marine expertise around the county. I am confident that this impetus for development of the marine resource arising out of the STRIDE Programme can be sustained into the future.
