Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether agreement has been reached on the appointment of an Irish sea science co-ordinator.
§ Mr. BaldryI am glad to report that my Department and the Departments of the Environment and of the Marine of the Republic of Ireland have agreed to commission EOLAS, the Irish Science and Technology Agency, to provide the services of Mr. Richard Boelens for three years as Irish sea science co-ordinator. Mr. Boelens will act as secretary of the co-ordination group to be set up to review existing and proposed monitoring and research programmes in the Irish sea and to assess priorities for further work to improve our knowledge of environmental issues affecting the Irish sea.
In the course of this work he will prepare an inventory of Irish sea research and monitoring, identify gaps in these programmes and needs for co-ordination and prepare, in liaison with the relevant agencies, proposals for meeting these needs. Consideration will also be given to the timing, content and research requirements of a further quality status report on the Irish sea.