asked the Minister for Transport if he proposes to establish a single State authority, namely his Department, which will have sole responsibility for licensing oil jetties throughout the country; if this single authority would be responsible for the regular inspection of all oil jetties; and if he will ensure that the maximum amount of co-ordination takes place between the various authorities having responsibility for the operations related to and in connection with the operation of oil jetties, i.e. harbour, fire brigade and planning authorities and Government Departments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Control of Oil Jetties.
8.
The Whiddy Tribunal Report has recommended that a single State authority should be responsible for licensing oil jetties throughout the country, that this single authority should likewise be responsible for the regular inspection of all oil jetties, and that it should be a Government Department.
The Department of Transport are currently in consultation with other interested Departments, including the Departments of Labour and the Environment, on the question of the measures to be taken for the implementation of the various recommendations in the report and in particular about the recommendation about co-ordination between the various authorities involved. I am confident that it will be possible in the near future to take specific steps for the implementation fo this recommendation.
I shall try to confine my question specifically, in view of the seeming difficulty of reply on the other side of the House. Since the recommendations were published has any inspector from the Minister's Department been down to Dublin Port to inspect whether any or all of the recommendations circulated have been implemented and, if so, could he give the approximate dates?
As I told the Deputy in answer to the previous question, the question of inspection by and large is the responsibility of the Department of Labour under the Dangerous Substances (Oil Jetty) Regulations, 1979. That Department have wide powers to licence and inspect oil jetties. I understand that they are in constant consultation with the Department of Transport concerning these matters. The interdepartmental group sitting and discussing the recommendations of that tribunal and the measures to be taken to implement these recommendations are very conscious of the matters raised by the Deputy. The Department of Labour are the chief licensing and inspectoral authority in this regard.
Would the Minister not accept that it will hardly be much consolation to any potential or future victims that his Department are not responsible and that the Department of Labour are responsible for this inspection? Arising out of his reply to Question No. 8, could he indicate to the House if he is in a position at this stage, as a result of his Department taking responsibility to circulate to harbour jetties around the country, if inspection has been made and if he knows the outcome of those inspections, whether they were made by officials of his Department or of any other Department, since they seem to be talking to each other in the interdepartmental meeting?
That is a separate question. If the Deputy puts down a question to the Minister for Labour, I am quite sure he will get an adequate reply to his question as regards what operations were undertaken by the officials of the Department of Labour. Suffice to say that a meeting was held in early October.
We are wasting the time of the House.
What is the responsibility of the Minister?
His responsibility is to hold the seat and forget about the harbours.