Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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221. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will publish marine safety notices in the relevant industry publications to ensure that the information is disseminated as widely as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53279/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of a Marine Notice is to notify relevant information to seafarers and mariners and to provide navigational information for maritime traffic, for example in an area where there are activities by vessels carrying out hydrographic or seismic surveys, fishing research or underwater operations. The overall aim is to target the information where it is needed, and in a cost effective way.

  My Department circulates Marine Notices to a wide range of individuals and organisations, ranging from State agencies and the fishing industry, to international shipping and water-based recreational interests.  Marine Notices are posted on the Department’s website and distributed electronically, via email, to those who have asked to be included on the distribution list.  They are targeted across the full range of the maritime sector, from merchant to fishing and leisure, plus ports, harbours, offshore energy, marine engineering companies, etc.  From time to time, Marine Notices, once issued, are duplicated on the websites of other organisations and publications.  A small number of Marine Notices are also sent out in hard copy to people who have requested the communication that way, usually due to lack of computer or email access. On occasions, particular issues or individual Marine Notices may be published in maritime industry publications but I have no plans for such publication of Marine Notices as a matter of course.