The first deep-water marine survey of the Irish coast has indicated the existence of potential mineral resources which may be of interest to national and international exploration companies.
The National Sea-Bed survey will map most of Ireland’s offshore seabed, an area of nearly one million sq kms, at a cost of €32 million.
Almost halfway through the seven-year project, an interim report has been presented to the Geological Survey of Ireland by Mr Noel Hanely, ceo of GOTECH, the Irish company carrying out the survey.
Junior Minister at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural resources, Mr John Browne, said today: "This survey in a sense maps out our future, providing us with vital information which could be of major benefit to Ireland, both from a commercial point of view but also scientifically".
He described the unmapped seabed as a "large untapped resource of potential benefit to many different sectors". The Government was recognising that the State must maximise any marine opportunities and also seek to protect the marine environment.
The survey will eventually encompasses an area approximately ten times the size of Ireland's land. It represents one of the largest seabed mapping projects undertaken anywhere in the world.