Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to introduce an emergency towing vessel service on the Irish coast; if he has held or intends to hold discussions with his UK Ministerial counterpart regarding shared ETV facilities on the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea; and if his Department has carried out a cost benefit analysis for this project and business models to carry out the ETV function. [33190/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Emergency Towing Vessels (ETV's) are deployed to empower a State to proactively protect its coast and all maritime activities within its Exclusive Economic and Marine Pollution Responsibility Zones. The tasking of ETVs include intervention in casualty response to prevent pollution from oils or hazardous and noxious substances and damage to the environment, life or property; pollution enforcement; oil recovery; reduction of pollution costs; fire fighting; and enhancement of search and rescue services.

My Department is reviewing the options to ensure that Ireland has access to ETV capacity to protect the coast from the consequences of major oil pollution or vessel stranding. In reviewing options I also intend to include discussion with our counterparts in the UK.