The Government has earmarked £500,000 (€634,000) in the Budget towards the cost of a second marine research vessel, which will take part in a £21 million seabed survey of the Irish Atlantic zone.
The £500,000 provided by the Minister will allow for tenders to be sought for construction of the new vessel early in the new year. It is expected that the ship will be 65 metres - twice the size of the existing ship, the Celtic Voyager - and will be delivered in 2002.
The Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, said that the new ship would engage in fisheries management studies, mineral exploration, pollution monitoring, environmental and oceanographic surveys, underwater exploration, acoustic fish surveys and development and testing of marine instruments.
An extra £100,00 has been earmarked for an array of marine weather buoys off the coastline, in co-operation with the Marine Institute and Met Eireann. There is also an additional £500,000 towards a £6 million tranche for marine tourism, while coastal protection funding is increased by £1 million to £5 million.
Fisheries harbour works will receive an extra £1.5 million (€1.9 million), bringing the total outlay to £12.5 million. This provides for development of new infrastructure at Killybegs.
