Neglecting the sea around us

Madam, - Your Editorial of May 8th remarks that "inheriting the position of Taoiseach is like being given charge of an oil tanker…

Madam, - Your Editorial of May 8th remarks that "inheriting the position of Taoiseach is like being given charge of an oil tanker", while elsewhere a headline refers to "Captain Cowen" and an "unchanged crew".

The marine analogies might seem apt but for the sadly ironic fact that in this island nation of ours we still cannot rise to a minister for marine with a stand-alone department to look after this country's marine resources.

Ireland has control over 15 per cent of all EU waters and is moving, through the United Nations, to have this area of jurisdiction extended to beyond the continental shelf. Ninety-five per cent of our trade comes through our ports.

Yet our marine portfolio - such as it is - is spread over four different Government departments. How utterly ludicrous.

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A single marine authority responsible for all commercial shipping, fisheries, marine resources, leisure boating, marine tourism, ports, etc is a necessity, not a luxury.

It can only benefit the island of Ireland. - Yours, etc,

Capt MICHAEL DOYLE, Landfall, Mulgannon, Wexford.