asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport, regarding the sinking of the Christos Bitas, the quantities of oil which have been sighted in or adjacent to the vicinity of the scuttling of the ship; and the extent of any such oil slicks.
337.
Written Answers. - Christos Bitas Sinking.
334.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if there are any proposals for the regular monitoring of the site of the Sinking of the Christos Bitas, and if he will give details of the proposals for any such monitoring in the future.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 337 together. The sinking of the Christos Bitas on 31 October 1978 caused an oil slick estimated to extend about 600 feet by 400 feet. On the following day, two oil slicks were sighted by aerial reconnaissance approximately nine miles due north of the sinking site. The estimated extent of the slicks was 5 miles × 2½ miles and 6 miles × ½ mile. Extensive aerial reconnaissance over a wide area during the following two weeks sighted no oil slicks and it may be assumed that those slicks which were seen on the 1st November were subsequently broken up by the action of the sea.
On the basis of the advice available to me I consider that the possibility of oil from the Christos Bitas reaching the Irish coast is extremely remote and I would not consider it necessary or useful to undertake regular monitoring of the sinking site. However, the Army Air Corps and the Naval Service would report any sightings of oil slicks that they might make in the course of their normal fishery protection patrol duties.
335.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport on what the estimate of one thousand tons of oil or sludge on the Christos Bitas was based; and if officials of his own Department verified that figure, by examination or other means, on board the ship prior to its being sunk.
The estimate of the amount of oil an board the Christos Bitas at the time of sinking was based on the knowledge and experience of those directly involved in the operation, taken in conjunction with information on the size of the original cargo when the vessel left Rotterdam and the amounts removed during the pumping operations and taking account of the amount spilt after the grounding off the Welsh Coast.
I am satisfied that all the oil that it was practicable to remove from the Christos Bitas was removed during the pumping operations and there are no grounds for casting doubt on the estimate of 1,000 tons remaining in or clinging to the vessel's tanks at the time of sinking.
336.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if it is proposed to hold a departmental inquiry or some other such inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Christos Bitas off the Irish coast; or if it is proposed to accept the findings of the British Government inquiry into this matter.
The grounding of the Christos Bitas took place off the Welsh coast and the location at which the vessel was sunk is 330 miles West of Fastnet. The vessel did not enter Irish waters at any stage. There is no provision in the Merchant Shipping Acts which would enable me to hold an inquiry into the casualty. However, the Liaison Committee on Oil Pollution, which is chaired by the Department of the Environment and representative of appropriate Government Departments (including my own Department) and interested agencies, is examining the existing arrangements for dealing with oil pollution incidents with particular reference to the Christos Bitas casualty.
338.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the number of full public inquiries that have taken place as a result of maritime accidents in Irish waters since 1945.
One formal investigation pursuant to section 466 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, into a shipping casualty occurring in Irish territorial waters, was held since 1945. This was in respect of the grounding of the Irish Plane at Kelly's Cove, Cork on 1
February 1947. The report of the investigation was published on 22 August 1947.