asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport in view of the statement in the EC 1987 report on competition policy that an application for exemption from the EC's competition rules relating to passenger shipping between Ireland and Britian has been received, whether this application has his support; the likely impact of such an exemption on our access transport costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My Department has been unable to locate the precise reference to which the Deputy refers in the EC 1987 Report on Competition Policy. It is presumed, however, that the Deputy's question relates to an exemption sought during 1986 in the context of the pooling agreement then in existence between the B & I Line and Sealink British Ferries Ltd. The need for such an exemption lapsed with the termination of the B & I/Sealink agreement on 31 December 1987 and the EC Commission have since been advised accordingly.