asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if in view of the appearance of sludge and waste oil deposits on the beaches of south east Ireland, he will make immediate representations to the international body set up to control the disposal of waste oil at sea to have immediate steps taken to abate this nuisance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disposal of Waste Oil at Sea.
5.
There is no international body charged with the control of the disposal of waste oil at sea and it was to remedy this problem that the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil was drawn up in 1954. The Convention prohibits the discharge of oil or oily mixtures within certain sea zones. The zones affecting the Irish coasts for ordinary vessels, consist of the seas 100 miles from the coast of Ireland, Britain and the north west European countries and in addition, for tankers, of the seas extending some 700 miles westward in the Atlantic. The Convention provides that all ships of adhering states should keep records of discharges of oil or oily mixtures. These records may be inspected by any other adhering state. If the records show, or if evidence is otherwise available, that a Convention ship discharged oil or oily mixtures in a prohibited zone the inspecting state shall notify the Flag State concerned of the matter and the latter state is obliged to institute proceedings if the evidence available warrants such a course.
Ireland has accepted the Convention, the provisions of which were implemented here by the Oil Pollution of the Sea Act, 1956. Unfortunately many countries, some with substantial tanker fleets, have not yet accepted the Convention. Success in preventing oil pollution depends on international co-operation by all parties concerned and the Deputy may rest assured that this country will cooperate fully.