Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Recently, the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, commissioned the INFOMAR programme's new survey vessel, naming her the RV Tonnat the Poolbeg Yacht Boat Club & Marina. This is part of Ireland's national marine mapping initiative and the programme carries out hydrographic and geophysical surveys of Irish territorial waters. It is a co-operative programme between the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute and is funded by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. This new vessel will support the completion of the first phase of the INFOMAR project's mapping of three priority areas and 26 bays around the coastline by the end of 2015. I commend the Minister and his Department on this much-needed and important initiative and look forward to the first stage of the programme being completed by the end of this year.