asked the Minister for Transport if, in view of the disaster at Whiddy Island/Bantry Bay, County Cork, he has undertaken, in conjunction with Irish Shipping Ltd. and B & I, a detailed inspection of all vessels owned or chartered by Irish Shipping with a view to ensuring that the maximum standard of safety for personnel and cargo is being adhered to; and if he will make a statement on the matter detailing the steps that have been taken by his Department and Irish Shipping Ltd. and B & I since the Whiddy Island disaster.
Written Answers . - Irish Shipping Safety Standards .
272.
: The highest international safety standards for shipping are those laid down in the Conventions on Safety of Life at Sea promulgated by the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultation Organisation (IMCO), which is the specialised United Nations world-wide organisation concerned with safety of shipping.
Ireland has ratified and implemented the convention of 1960, which among other things provides for periodic surveys of ships and the issue for limited periods of various safety certificates whose form and content are laid down in the Convention. The surveys are carried out by surveyors of my Department's Marine Survey Service, and safety certificates are issued by my Department in respect of vessels which are found, upon survey, to be in compliance with the appropriate international safety standards.
I hope to introduce in the present session of the Oireachtas a Bill to enable Ireland to ratify the Convention on Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, which replaces, updates and expands the 1960 convention, and the 1978 protocol to the convention of 1974. The 1978 protocol provided among other things for more frequent surveys of ships, especially older ships.
I am satisfied that these measures are fully adequate to ensure the maintenance of the highest safety standards on Irish-registered ships. In the case of chartered ships, the responsibility for ensuring, by survey and certification, their compliance with international safety standards, rests with the flag state: this is one of the basic features of the international ship safety system prepared and promoted by IMCO, to which virtually all of the world's sea-going nations have subscribed.
I have brought the tribunal report and its recommendations to the attention of the Irish Chamber of Shipping, which represents Irish shipowners.
273.
asked the Minister for Transport the action he proposes to take to ensure that the charterers and insurers of merchant vessels carrying freight in and out of Irish ports will be required to have such vessels fully inerted by the installation of an inert gas system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
: The Whiddy Tribunal Report recommends that charterers and insurers should require that vessels are fully inerted. I have brought the report and its recommendations to the attention of the relevant professional Irish bodies representing charterers and insurers of merchant vessels.
I hope to introduce in the present session of the Oireachtas a Bill to enable Ireland to ratify the Protocol of 1978 to the Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974. It is anticipated that the protocol will come into effect internationally in the course of 1981. One of the requirements of the protocol is that tankers over 20,000 tons deadweight should be inerted within a prescribed period.
The question of restriction of entry of tankers under 20,000 tons is not governed by international requirements, and is a matter for consideration by individual states. This question is currently being examined in my Department.
274.
asked the Minister for Transport if he proposes to make arrangements for the display of a certificate similar to other statutory certificates currently required on board merchant vessels, particularly oil/bulk ore carriers, indicating the wastage of structural steel members on ships as assessed by measurements taken by ultrasonic or other efficient means during a sea voyage or in dock; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
: The Whiddy Tribunal Report has recommended that measurements should be taken of wastage on tankers and certain other bulk carriers, and that the results should be recorded, preferably in the form of a certificate to be displayed on board.
The implementation of this recommendation would entail the drawing up of a standard international requirement, as in the case of the other safety certificates, referred to by the Deputy, which ships are obliged to display.
I have brought the recommendation to the attention of the International Association of Classification Societies, whose members would be particularly concerned with it, as well as of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum and of the International Chamber of Shipping. They have promised full co-operation and have indicated that they are initiating specialist studies of the recommendations.
I have also brought the recommendation to the attention of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO), which is the specialised agency of the United Nations concerned with safety of shipping. IMCO, who have indicated their readiness to assist in every way possible, have commented that the particular item is primarily one for consideration by the classification societies, but that the relevant technical committee of IMCO could also be concerned. I have submitted a paper on all the recommendations of the report for consideration by this committee at their next session.
The other organisations involved, who all have observer status with IMCO, have been reminded of the desirability of maintaining close liaison with that body in their examination of this and other recommendations.