asked the Minister for Transport and Power the total tonnage and value of vessels built elsewhere than in Cork Dockyard for B & I and Irish Shipping during the last ten years.
26.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shipping Orders.
25.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power the total number of vessels built in Cork Dockyard for B & I and Irish Shipping during the last ten years.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 26 together.
As regards Irish Shipping Limited, three vessels costing £5.6 million and totalling 83,063 deadweight tons have been built for the company by Verolme Cork Dockyard since 1962. In the same period three other ships totalling 60,540 deadweight tons have been built abroad at a cost of £4.49 million. Two of the vessels built abroad totalling 31,340 deadweight tons and costing £1.95 million were initially ordered by Irish Shipping Limited from Verolme Cork Dockyard. At the request of the Cork yard, the orders were transferred to the Verolme yard in Holland to enable the Cork yard to accept a more beneficial foreign order. Four bulk carriers of 26,000 tons each are at present under construction at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders for the company. The order for these ships was placed abroad after consultation with Verolme Cork Dockyard.
Since the B & I Company was acquired in 1965 two ships costing £3.6 million with a total gross tonnage of 8,289 tons have been built for the company by Verolme. In the same period two vessels totalling 8,916 gross registered tons have been built for them in Germany at a cost of £5.14 million. One of these ships was already under construction at a German yard when taken over by the B & I in 1967. The other is a sister ship to one built for the company at Verolme Cork Dockyard in 1968-69. That yard is not in a position to build a second ship for delivery by the required delivery date.
I should emphasise that it is the policy of both companies to give the maximum possible volume of business to Verolme. As already announced, I have recently approved of the placing of an order with Verolme for a new unit-load ship for the B & I, while a proposal by Irish Shipping Limited to build a further cargo ship at the yard is under examination.
Can the Minister assure us that in future all vessels required by the Irish shipping companies will be built in Verolme Dockyard?
I have already explained to the House that in some cases orders placed with Verolme were transferred at Verolme's request, and in other cases they could not offer suitable delivery dates, for example, for two vessels of 50,000 deadweight tons. Every effort is made to find as much business for Verolme Dockyard as possible. In fact, one thing that was not mentioned in the reply was that one of the ships built by Verolme for Irish Shipping Limited was duplicated for an outside carrier through the intervention and help of Irish Shipping Limited. Another ship was built to the same pattern and at the same price for a company working abroad. Every effort is made to have collaboration between the Irish shipping companies and Verolme Cork Dockyard.
Is the Minister aware that Harland and Wolfe in Belfast is in Ireland? Were no orders ever placed there?
That is a separate question.
It is not.
The question relates to Cork.
The Minister has stated that they have always tried to place orders in Irish shipyards. We realise that Harland and Wolfe is in Ireland. Why are some orders being placed in Germany and not in Belfast?
The Deputy will have to ask the Minister a question in regard to any recent constructions but, before 1969, Harland and Wolfe were given the opportunity to tender. I have no reason to suppose that that situation has changed. The Deputy will have to ask the Minister for Transport and Power to give a specific reply on that subject.