A new agreement on North-South cooperation in geoscience is set to facilitate better services in areas such as water supply, infrastructure development, mineral exploration and tourism.

There has been strong and growing cooperation between the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and the Geological Survey of Ireland in recent years. This has now culminated in the signature of an agreement between them which is intended to deepen their level of scientific cooperation. As a result staff will be able to share expertise with each other and to provide more efficient services.

The signing ceremony took place in Banbridge last Thursday and was attended by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD and Mr Nigel Dodds OBE MP MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The agreement was signed by Mr Garth Earls, Director of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Dr Peadar Mc Ardle, Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, and Dr John Ludden, Executive Director, British Geological Survey.

Dr Ludden’s participation is significant and points to the importance of East - West as well as North – South cooperation. The British Geological Survey not only provide the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland with its professional staff but also cooperate with the Geological Survey of Ireland on issues such as data management.

Welcoming the agreement, Minister Ryan stated that since the geoscience sector published its National Geoscience Programme (2007-2013) earlier this year there had been significant positive steps. Firstly the Griffith Geoscience Research Awards had been implemented as one of a series of research initiatives by his Department designed to increase research capacity at third level institutes. Under the Griffith Awards nine contracts with an aggregate value of €9.2 million had been issued to universities on both sides of the Border. Secondly GSI was now making its databases available free of charge and in digital format over the internet. This is expected to lead to increased use of these important databases and to facilitate the creation of new enterprises based on them.

Minister Dodds said he wished to see stronger scientific cooperation that would lead to benefits for communities on both sides of the Border. He particularly welcomed the involvement of BGS which would encourage the improvement of three-way cooperation. He believed the geoscience sector had significant growth potential and could provide new opportunities for knowledge-based enterprises. Next year would be the International Year of Planet Earth and he considered it an important opportunity for geologists to communicate the value of their work to the general public.

The Ministers considered that there were still major opportunities to ensure we get the maximum benefit from investments in geoscience. They also acknowledged the supportive role which the Royal Irish Academy had played in the development of the sector in recent years. In this regard the planned seminar next spring, in which the Academy will play a key role, will be important in setting the geoscience priorities for the remaining period of the National Development Plan.

Notes for Editors:

1. The geoscience sector serves a range of extractive industries, such as zinc and salt mining, aggregates quarrying and offshore gas production. It also provides services for the water, construction and exploration sectors, as well as research and education for energy, environment, infrastructure and marine projects. GSI and GSNI are leading public sector bodies in the sector.
2. GSI is the national geological agency, charged with providing information and advice of relevance to Ireland. It managed the Irish National Seabed Survey (1999-2005) and more recently has jointly managed the nearshore INFOMAR Programme along with the Marine Institute. For additional information see www.gsi.ie

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:-

• Brid McGrath, Press Advisor: Office +353 1 678 2440 / Mobile: 087 770 8631
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• Email: press.office@dcenr.gov.ie
  

Fáilte na nAirí roimh Chomhoibriú Eolaíochta sa bhreis

5ú Deireadh Fómhair 2007

Le comhaontas nua am chomhoibriú Thuaidh-Theas i gcúrsaí geolaíochta éascófar seirbhísí feabhsaithe sna limistéir: soláthar an uisce, forbairt na hinfrastructúra, taiscéalaíocht mianraí and turasóireacht.

Le blianta beaga anuas tá borradh leis an dlúth-chomhoibriú idir Suirbhéireacht Geolaíochta Thuaisceart Éireann (GSNI) agus Suirbhéireacht Geolaíochta Éireann (SGÉ). Is é a bhuaic siúd ná comhaontas a shíníodh eatarthu chun doimhne a chur lena a gcuid comhoibrithe eolaíochta. Ag éirí as an gcomhaontas seo beidh na foirne in ann sainoilteacht na bhfoirne a roinnt lena chéile agus seirbhísí níos éifeachtúla a sholáthar.

Tharla an searmanas sínithe ar Dhroichead na Banna inniu i láthair an Uasail Nigel Dodds OBE MP MLA, Aire Fiontair, Tionscail agus Infheistíochta Thuaisceart Éireann agus an Uasail Éamonn Ó Riain, Aire Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha. Bhí na hAirií ar Dhroichead na Banna ag freastal chruinniú dhéthaobhach Thuaidh-Theas ar chúrsaí fuinnimh. Dob iad Garth Earls, Stiúrthóir GSNI, an Dr Peadar Mac Ardaoill, Stiúrthóir SGÉ, agus an Dr John Ludden, Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin Suirbhéireacht Geolaíochta na Breataine (BGS) a shínigh an comhaontas.

Tá tábhacht leis an Dr Ludden a bheith i láthair agus léiríonn sé tábhacht an chomhoibrithe Soir-Siar chomh maith siúd Thuaidh- Theas. Ní amháin go soláthraíonn BGS an foireann proifisiúnta do GSNI ach cabhraíonn sí le SGÉ I gcúrsaí bainistíochta sonraí.

Ag fáiltiú dó roimh an chomhaontas, dúirt an tUasal Dodds: “Ba mhaith liom comhoibriúeolaíochta níos dlúithe a fheiscint agus buntáistí ag éirí as don phobal ar dhá thaobh an teorainn. Is cúis mór áthais dom BGS a bheith i bpáirt ann mar go n-eascróidh comhoibriú trí-threoch as. Creidim gur mór é cumas forbartha na hearnála geolaíochta agus go bhféadfadh sé deiseanna a sholáthar do fhiontair eolasbhunaithe. Is í an bhliain seo chugainn Bliain Idirnáisiúnta Pláinéad an Domhain agus bronnfaidh deis gheolaithe luach a saothar a chur in iúl don ghnáth-phobal.”

Arsa an tUasal Ó Riain: “Do lean céimeanna dearfacha foilsiú an Chláir Náisiúnta Geolaíochta (2007-2013) ag an earnáil geolaíochta níos luaithe i mbliana. Bunaíodh Gradaim Thaighde Geolaíochta Uí Ghríofa mar cheann des na tionscadail thaighde faoi scáth na Roinne chun cumas taighde a chur i méid sna hinstitiúid tríú leibhéal. Faoi scéim Ghradaim Uí Ghríofa bronnadh conarthaí de luach €9.2 milliún in iomlán ar Ollscoileanna ar dhá thaobh an Teorainn. Sa bhreis ar sin tá SGÉ ag cur na mbonn sonraí ar fáil saor in aisce agus i bhfoirm leictreonach tríd an idirlíon. Le teacht níos fearr ar an eolas tábhachtach seo éascófar fiontair nua bunaithe orthu a chur ar bun.”

Síleann an bheirt Aire gur iliomad na deiseanna chun tairbhe a bhaint as infheistíocht sna heolaíochtaí geolaíochta. Thug siad aitheantas freisin do thacaíocht Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann d’fhorbairt na hearnála seo le blianta beaga anuas agus fháiltíodar roimh seimineár an Earraigh seo chugainn ina ghlacfaidh an tAcadamh príomh-pháirt. Soláthróidh an seimineár fóram chun tacaíochtaí geolaíochta sa bhreis a ríomhadh don chuid eile den Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta.

CRÍOCH

Nótaí d’Eagraitheoirí

1. Is taca an earnáil geolaíochta dos na tionscail teibithe, ar nós mianadóireacht sionc agus salainn, ábhair tógála agus stroighin a bhaint agus gás a thairgeadh amuigh ón gcósta. Soláthraíonn sí seirbhísí dos an hearnálacha uisce, tógála agus taiscéalaíochta maraon le taca taighde agus oideachais i leith tionscadail fhuinnimh, chomhshaoil agus mara. Is iad GSNI agus SGÉ na príomh-chomhlachtaí den earnáil phoiblí ina leith seo.
2. Is í SGÉ gníomhaireacht náisiúnta geolaíochta na hÉireann agus is rannóg í den Roinn Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha. Tá sí freagrach as eolas agus comhairle a sholáthair i leith cúrsaí geolaíochta na hÉireann. Bhí sí i mbun Suirbhéireacht Náisiúnta na hÉireann ar Ghrinneall na Mara (1999 - 2005) a bhainistiú agus le déanaí clár INFOMAR san limistéar cois chósta a chomh-bhainistiú le Foras na Mara. Tagtar ar bhreis eolas ag www.gsi.ie
3. Is oifig í GSNI den Roinn Fiontair, Tionscail agus Infheistíochta. Soláthraíonn BGS an fhoireann proifisiúnta do GSNI. Le déanaí chríochnaigh sí an tionscadal TELLUS chun léarscáileanna nua geo-cheimiceacha agus geo-fhisiceacha a sholáthar ar Thuaisceart Éireann mar thaca do thaiscéalaíocht mianraí agus hidreacarbón agus a dtairgeadh agus do phleanáil i leith úsáid na talún maraon le bonn sonraí comhshaoil a sholáthar ó thaobh go taobh na tíre. Tagtar ar bhreis eolais ag www.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/