Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1269: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to further develop Ireland's reputation as a centre of excellence for marine research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47733/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Significant progress has been made over the last number of years towards developing Ireland's reputation as a centre of excellence for marine research.

Sea Change, A Marine Knowledge, Research & Innovation Strategy for Ireland 2007-2013, was launched by Government in February 2007. Sea Change aims to drive the development of Ireland's marine sector as a dynamic element of our knowledge economy. It aims to bring about a transformation of the marine sector from a traditional one which is primarily associated with food harvesting to one which is multifaceted, embracing a range of new, high value, knowledge-intensive, commercial opportunities developed in a sustainable manner. In doing so it addresses the aims of the wider National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (SSTI) of placing Ireland firmly on the global map in terms of the excellence of our research and its application for the benefit of society.

The Marine Institute, who are tasked with implementing Sea Change, manages a programme of research funding (the Marine Research Sub Programme of the 2007-'13 NDP) aimed at achieving the objectives of Sea Change. In addition, the Marine Institute works closely with a range of agencies (e.g. Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Higher Education Authority, and the Environmental Protection Agency) with a view to leveraging additional funds for marine research from respective NDP programmes.

Significant progress has been achieved during the first two years of Sea Change (2007-'08). Over €75m of exchequer funding (via a range of agencies/funding schemes) has been invested in marine research and innovation during 2007-'08, providing funding for a significant suite of research, development and innovation programmes and projects, carried out by a range of research and industry partners, over a 1-7 year timeframe.. This investment is targeted across all 15 research programmes in Sea Change; including marine food (fisheries, aquaculture and seaweed), ocean energy and the emerging areas of marine functional foods, marine biotechnology and advanced marine technology. Investment/progress to date includes:

A suite of fisheries research projects aimed at broadening understanding of fish stocks, capturing the inherent knowledge of the fishing industry, improving scientific advice for stakeholders, and rebuilding depleted fish stocks.

Research support for the diversification of the aquaculture industry through the development of cod and seaweed aquaculture industries and projects aimed at addressing finfish/shellfish health and food safety issues.

The establishment of an Ocean Energy Development Unit located within Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and funding to support and develop a state-of-the-art National Ocean Energy facility and a grid-connected wave energy test site, to enable development of commercial wave energy devices.

The establishment of a new collaborative Centre of Excellence in Marine Functional Foods aimed at building on Ireland's considerable international food research reputation and targeting the marine as a source of novel ingredients.

A programme of marine climate change research, in close liaison with EPA and Met Éireann, which is leading to increased understanding of the drivers and regulators of climate and improving the accuracy and reliability of predictive models.

Ireland has developed a reputation internationally for its work on seabed mapping through one of the largest marine mapping programmes in the world. Between 1999 and 2005 the Irish National Seabed Survey project, managed by the Geological Survey of Ireland, mapped all Irish designated waters over 200 m water depth and a considerable area shallower than that. This provided a ground-breaking dataset of bathymetric, geophysical, oceanographic, and ancillary datasets to support a range of economic and research activities. INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping For the sustainable development of Ireland's Marine Resource), the successor programme to the seabed survey, managed jointly by the Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland, is prioritising mapping of bays and coastal areas and integrating and supplying the data generated to support the development of a range of added value products and projects. This investment will deliver significant future returns to the state in the areas of marine research and development, safety, environment, energy and infrastructure, fisheries, flood risk management, and heritage.

Participation in international marine research and development initiatives and programmes contributes significantly to research and innovation capacity building. Exchequer investment in Marine Research and Development over the last number of years is paying dividends on the international research stage. This is evidenced by the increase in Irish participation in international marine research programmes, with Irish researchers securing over €13.5 million in EU marine research projects during 2007 and 2008, versus a total of €23.1m from EU programmes over the previous funding period (2000-2006).

Together, the investment in marine research over the last two years via national and international funding programmes has led to the creation of significant new research capacity and capability — with in excess of 90 new research positions and 95 PhD scholarships being created — which will contribute significantly towards furthering the goal of building Ireland's reputation as a centre of excellence for marine research.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1270: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to instigate a national marine biotechnology initiative to make Ireland a world leader in this important sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47734/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In association with national agencies (EI, SFI, IDA) and academic centres, and in partnership with a number of international centres, the Marine Institute is leading the development of a National Marine Biodiscovery Programme. This Programme, funded by a €7.3 million grant from the Beaufort Marine Research Awards Scheme, is designed to identify and develop uses for novel compounds isolated from marine species. The Programme has created core research activity and new teams in taxonomy, natural products chemistry, chemogenomics and bioinformatics; and developed capabilities for the isolation and identification of novel chemical compounds and or proteins for use by the biopharma sector and the medical device industry.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1272: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to continue to work with coastal communities to identify and designate suitable marine protected areas to allow the regeneration of stocks and the conservation of wildlife; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47737/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Four offshore sites have been designated at EU level as Marine Special Areas of Conservation. A number of sites have also been designated in inshore waters. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is working with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and the Marine Institute to introduce arrangements that will allow for appropriate management in these sites in order to provide for their effective conservation.