The State's new €32 million marine research vessel has been equipped for limited anti-pollution activities, according to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern.
The Minister, who visited the 65-metre vessel in Norway yesterday where it is undergoing sea trials, said it was primarily focused on marine research. However, it will be able to handle pollution crises, including boom deployment to contain oil spills, towing capability, monitoring of spillage flows and communications command, he said.
The 2,500-tonne vessel has cost €31.6 million and is funded under the National Development Plan. It is due to be delivered in several weeks for further sea trials in home waters. The State also contributed just under €9 million to the Irish Lights vessel, Granuaile, which has pollution response capabilities.
The Celtic Explorer will join its sister ship, the Celtic Voyager, in the new year to carry out "vital research into conservation of fish stocks, seabed mapping, testing of the Irish Sea for radioactivity and ecological work on behalf of the Marine Institute", the Minister said yesterday.
"When the vessel specifications were drawn up, the Marine Institute and Coast Guard wisely ensured the Celtic Explorer also had the capability to fight pollution outbreaks," the Minister said. "The specification of the vessel ensures that it can contribute significantly towards fighting incidents such as oil spills. The vessel can deploy booms - vital in containing spillages - and can accurately monitor pollution flows. It also has towing capacity which could prove very important where tankers threaten our coastline.
"For instance, were a tanker to lose power and threaten our coastline, the Celtic Explorer has the capacity to restrict the tanker's movements and buy valuable time until heavy-duty tugs are summoned," the Minister said.
The Irish Coast Guard has drawn up an emergency plan, and stockpiles of equipment to contain and disperse oil spills are located in Dublin, Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal. However, the Green Party has called for purchase of an emergency towing vessel or tug to deal with incidents like that involving the Prestige off the Galician coast.
