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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Aug 1933

Vol. 49 No. 10

In Committee on Finance. - Merchant Shipping (International Labour Conventions) Bill, 1933—Second Stage.

I move:

"That this Bill be read a Second Time."

This was properly described as a noncontroversial measure. On the 9th April, 1930, on the initiative of the Government then in office the Dáil ratified three international conventions; one dealing with unemployment indemnity for seamen in the event of loss or foundering of ships; the second dealing with the employment of young people on vessels as trimmers or stokers and the third dealing with compulsory medical examination of children and young persons employed on ships. It was originally intended that the legislation which would give effect to the terms of the conventions would be embodied in the General Merchant Shipping Bill which is in course of preparation. As the preparation of that Bill has been delayed, it is considered undesirable that the legislation giving effect to these conventions, which were ratified so long ago, should be held up. That is why this Bill has been introduced. It is desirable that the legislation of the State should be brought, as quickly as possible, into conformity with the international conventions that we accept. Clause 1 is the one of main importance. It provides that where seamen lose employment through the loss or foundering of a ship they would be entitled to continue to receive wages for two months from the date of the loss. At present, a seaman's right to draw wages terminates upon the date of the loss of a ship. The original convention has already been ratified by nineteen States, and the enactment of this clause merely brings our law into conformity with the law of other States. It is considered necessary to make the section retrospective to the date on which the convention was ratified. It was on that date we undertook the obligations of the convention, and as certain Saorstát ships were lost in the interval it is, I think, desirable that this section should have retrospective effect. The absence of legislation giving effect to the convention, having regard to the fact that those ships were lost, was the subject of adverse comment at the International Labour Convention.

Clause 2 is really of no importance to us. We have ratified the convention, and consequently our law must be brought into conformity. The practice is that young persons are not employed as trimmers or stokers upon Saorstát ships. The other clause gave effect to the compulsory medical examination of persons employed on ships. That is consequential upon the second one, and as the second one will not be involved, in practice, in respect of ships here, the third is in the same category. The general merchant shipping legislation will be available at some date in the future, and the passage of this Bill will not necessarily interfere with it in any way. This Bill would then form part of our general merchant shipping code.

I take it that the Minister has stated there is nothing in this Bill beyond ratifying the conventions?

No. The conventions have been ratified, but the law of the State was not brought into conformity with the conventions. This Bill is making the necessary changes, so that we can give effect to the ratification.

There is nothing in it beyond that?

What effect the dating back of the legislation will have I do not know. I am not prepared to oppose that in any way.

There is no disagreement on the part of any of the parties concerned to making this retrospective to the date upon which the convention was ratified. I think it is desirable that we should do that. Question put and agreed to.

Committee Stage fixed for to-morrow.

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