Remarks by Presidential McAleese at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork
Remarks by Presidential McAleese at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork, 10th October, 2011
Dia dhíbh go léir inniu, tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo libh.
Thank you Commodore Mellett for your kind invitation back to visit the Naval Base and the Naval Service, especially in these last few weeks of my Presidency. I really welcome the chance to say thank you to all of you for the many ways in which you have supported me, helped me and offered warm hospitality over these fourteen years. Especially the crew of a certain ship moored at Longboat Quay in Dublin one quiet afternoon when I took a notion as I was ambling past to pay a visit. Never was a crew scrambled to attention with such speed or success and when I suggested taking their craft out for a spin around Dublin Bay they manfully and womanfully looked obliging but were mightily relieved to know I was joking.
There have been many too many occasions to count these past fourteen years when I have been in the company of members of the Defence Forces and on every single occasion whatever the context or the role I have come away with a huge pride in the professionalism and sheer capability of this band of men and women who have made our Defences Forces their vocation. So thank you to each member of the Naval Service and to the civilian staff who support the Naval Service including the Naval Dockland- thank you for earning the respect of the public the hard way- through doing your job superbly well each and every day.
There is a saying that ‘Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors.’ Given the conditions of our Irish seas we undoubtedly have the most skilful sailors in the world. But then here they have the added advantage of the National Maritme College of Ireland with its first class training facilities especially that fantastic and very sophisticated 270 degree bridge simulator.
Let me thank you for the service you give to our communities and our country, defending and protecting our territorial seas, working with An Garda Siochana and the Revenue Commissioners in the fight against drug trafficking, supporting the Irish Coast Guard in search and rescue, search and recovery and environmental protection, backing up the Sea Fishery Protection Authority to deter illegal fishing in our waters and travelling Ireland as ambassadors for the Defence Forces and sailing the world as ambassadors for our country.
Last January, I had the pleasure of visiting the Marine Institute in its beautiful home on the West coast and there I was shown the ‘real map of Ireland’ which includes our extensive sea bed, not just our above water land mass. That map serves to highlight the very considerable extent of our maritime resource and potential for despite having one of the largest maritime to land ratios of any EU state, Ireland only derives a very modest contribution of 1% of GDP from the Maritime Sector. Our closest neighbours, the UK, get closer to 5% so we have work to do if that unexplored resource is to be a new bumper harvest for the irish economy in future years.
Your collaborative initiative with Cork Institute of Technology, University of Cork, and the National Martime College of Ireland to develop the Irish Maritime and Energy Research Campus cluster will make a big contribution to that work offering fantastic opportunites not just for Ireland to become a world leader in ocean renewable energy but for research and development companies in marine energy, maritime technology, eco-systems governance and nautical science to set up here. It is really encouraging and exciting to know that I-MERC is already developing partnerships with over 30 SMEs.
Later this week, I will be making my last visit abroad as President. I am going to visit the Irish Defence Forces in Lebanon, revisiting the places I visited on my very first visit abroad as President fourteen years ago in November 1997. Some of your colleagues from this base are currently serving there and more of you will follow them in due course. Each one of you adds your own contribution to the glowing reputation Irish troops have as peacekeepers par excellence. It is no coincidence that my first and last trips are to our defence Forces. It is my way of showing the level of admiration, respect and love I have for this Army, Navy and Air Corps of ours where men and women of devotion to our country and to our peacekeeping culture constantly strive to do their best and make each service the best it can be..
New ships and equipment are important and you are always glad to get them. The two new planned Offshore Patrol Vessals will be very welcome when they arrive, but when they do, no matter how sophisticated their technology, they only come to life, only impact on our lives, through your lives, your hands, your hearts, your brains, your attentiveness to your calling as sailors. It is people who make us proud and you surely do that. Thank you.
Now I am to be given a rare treat which I’ve looked forward to greatly, my spin around the bay onboard the LE Niamh- at last.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.