The Government's proposed maritime college in Cork has been described as "visionary" by the two main organisations representing merchant seafarers and Naval Service officers.
The £15 million college has the potential to establish Ireland as western Europe's "standard-bearer" in maritime training and education, according to the Nautical Institute and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO).
The Nautical Institute, the international organisation for seafarers, which has recently formed an Irish branch, issued its welcome at a meeting in Dublin on Sunday.
Details of the new institute were announced by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, last week, just before the Cork by-election.
The proposed college aims to streamline training of both merchant and naval personnel, thus saving on limited resources, while also contributing to improved maritime safety and better prospects for those who chose a career at sea. Jointly supported by the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Naval Service, the college will accommodate some 120 students annually - doubling the current capacity of 55 students at Cork.
The CIT's nautical studies department is the only third-level institution providing courses in the State for the merchant marine. The initiative is a key recommendation of the Task Force on Seafarer Employment and Training set up by the Minister shortly after he came into office.
The decision is also in keeping with recent resolutions from the European Transport Safety Council, which is concerned about the impact of increased competition in international shipping.
Attempts by shipowners to economise on personnel have already had serious consequences for safety, but the council has identified joining training of mercantile marine and naval personnel as one way to improve communication while also cutting costs. Under new regulations, which have been translated into European law, the International Maritime Organisation has the authority to judge whether the training and certification procedures of member-states meet the requirements of its 1978 convention on standards of training, certification and watch-keeping.
The Minister did warn last week that more detailed costings would be required before the project could definitely proceed, but a site has been offered by the Naval Service at Cork Harbour. RACO, which represents Naval Service officers, said the initiative would "underscore the requirements of this island nation to develop a human resource prepared to explore, harness and protect" marine resources which are "potentially the finest in Europe".
Both RACO and the Nautical Institute, which made a detailed submission to the Minister's seafaring task force, said they looked forward to working with the group charged with drawing up an implementation plan for the project.
