The Government intends to build a €30 million headquarters for the Marine Institute in Galway, subject to planning approval. The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, unveiled the plans when he opened the agency's interim new headquarters in the west last Friday.
About 50 of the agency's 140 staff are moving to the interim offices at the Galway Technology Park, and the full complement will be based in the new building at Oranmore by the time it is completed in 2004.
The new centre will be "world class" and will be worth about €17 million annually to the local economy, the Minister said. The State's marine research vessels, including the new Celtic Explorer, will be based in Galway harbour.
"Together with the recent allocation of €19 million by the Higher Education Authority to NUI Galway's Marine Ryan Institute, it leaves no doubt in my mind that Galway can be an information gateway for marine research and development in the north-east Atlantic," the Minister said.
The relocation of the nine-year-old institute was one of the first steps taken by the Minister after his promotion to Cabinet two years ago. Recalling the proposal made to him to move to Galway by the institute's chief executive, Dr Peter Heffernan, the Minister acknowledged that he "jumped at the idea for good, solid, selfish reasons".
Galway provide the "best living environment in the country", in his view, and in a couple of years the staff would not regret their move, he added.
The site for the headquarters at Renvyle was owned by Bord Iascaigh Mhara as a station for the Decca navigation system, which has been replaced by satellite technology. Mr Ciaran O'Connor, architect with the Office of Public Works, said that its access to high-quality salt water for laboratory research was vital.
A voluntary environmental impact statement has been submitted to Galway County Council.
The Marine Institute's chief executive, Dr Peter Heffernan, said the port of Galway could serve as an ideal base for international research vessels, and he could foresee a European fleet working out of Galway Bay.