The Irish Maritime Development Office, IMDO, the development agency for our shipping and shipping services sector, has been active in advising our port companies, ship operators and others in the maritime sector about the opportunities provided by the Commission's motorways of the sea initiative.
In that regard the IMDO has organised a seminar entitled Motorways of the Sea, Opportunities and Challenges for Ireland which takes place on 17 November 2004 in the National Concert Hall. I will be opening the seminar which is intended both to publicise the motorways of the sea initiative and to give advice on how motorways of the sea projects can be developed for submission to the Commission. I am hopeful that suitable Irish projects will be developed which merit inclusion in this ambitious Community initiative.