asked the Minister for Transport and Power if, in view of the statement by the Chairman of the British and Irish Steampacket Company, Limited on Tuesday, 16th May, regarding the withdrawal from the Dublin-Liverpool service of the mv Munster and mv Leinster, he will state (a) the date of withdrawal of the mv Munster, and (b) the date of withdrawal of the mv Leinster; if he will give the numbers of floating staff who will become redundant as a result of the withdrawal of these vessels; precisely how long they will remain redundant; and what steps will be taken to compensate redundant staff.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Withdrawal of B&I Vessels.
1.
The acquisition and disposal of vessels to suit the company's trade are the responsibility of the Board of the B&I Company.
I am informed by the company, however, that either the Munster or the Leinster, will be withdrawn from the end of October, 1967 and disposed of. No decision has yet been taken to withdraw the second vessel. Each of these vessels carries a crew of 64, with a further relief staff of 16.
Under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts shipowners are required to enter into written Articles of Agreement with seamen employed on their ships. The Agreement may be either for a voyage or for a period of time—not exceeding six months in the case of home trade ships. The crews of the B&I ships are engaged on the six-monthly basis.
I am advised by the company that at least an equivalent number of crew members will be required for the new vessel to be delivered early in 1968.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary state if these ships will be replaced forthwith by other ships and, if so, will these carry the same complement as the existing ships?
No. There is no question of their being replaced forthwith by other ships.
Does that mean the services will be considerably curtailed on this route?
That does not necessarily follow. One of the ships being withdrawn will, it is hoped, be replaced in early 1968 by the car ferry.
Surely if you withdraw a ship in 1967 and do not replace it until 1968, there must be some curtailment of service?
A different type of cargo——
You cannot have anything without a ship, whether it is cargo or anything else.