asked the Minister for Transport the number of merchant ships registered in this country at present; and the total number of inspections in respect of safety and fire precaution measures carried out by officers of his Department on such ships in 1980.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Merchant Ships Inspections.
10.
The number of merchant ships, including passenger ships, of 100 gross registered tonnage or over, registered in Ireland, is 62.
The safety equipment and fire fighting arrangements of merchant ships are surveyed by the Marine Service of the Department of Transport, in the case of passenger ships every year, and in the case of cargo ships every two years, in accordance with statutory requirements pursuant to international conventions. The number of Irish ships so surveyed in 1980 was 49. Ships' radio equipment is required to be surveyed every year by radio surveyors of the Department of Transport and there were 31 such surveys in respect of Irish ships in 1980.
The numbers of surveys carried out do not correspond with the number of ships on the register mainly for the reason that many Irish ships are surveyed by other countries in foreign ports on a mutual basis in accordance with international convention. The Deputy may rest assured that the statutory requirements regarding surveys are fully discharged.
Has any consideration been given as to the adequacy of an annual survey and are there any proposals to have a greater level of inspections of passenger ships in particular?
I assure the Deputy that we have sufficient survey teams available to do the job adequately in accordance with international conventions.
I was trying to ascertain whether the Minister is satisfied that an annual survey of passenger ships and a bi-annual survey of other ships is sufficient. Has any consideration been given to increasing the number of inspections for these ships, particularly those over a certain age?
Under the International Load line and Safety at Sea Conventions it is accepted internationally that the surveys as indicated in the reply are sufficient.
Is the Minister quite happy to accept that?
Quite happy.
It should have been done at Whiddy two years ago.
In view of the safety of life particularly of the seamen and now women who operate these ships, (a) are the reports of these surveys available to the representatives both of the NUS and the Irish Seamens' Unions: (b) if not, will the Minister make them available to the trade union representatives of the people who work on these ships?
Each ship is required to keep two copies of the certificates and must produce them on entry to each port. Under international conventions it would be impossible for any of these ships to ply the ocean if they had not got the certificates.
Perhaps the Minister of State did not hear my question correctly. I am asking him again if a copy of the actual report, as distinct from the copy of the certificate, will, on request, be made available by his Department to the representatives of the people who work on these ships.
The copy of the report is, of course, in the Department and is available for inspection certainly, but I do not see the reason for it being made available to seamen. Is that what the Deputy is suggesting?
Ceist 11.
I am saying——
I am sorry, we have had ten questions in 40 minutes. Would the Minister reply to Ceist 11. please?
We are talking about——
If the Minister of State would obey the Chair we might make some progress at Question Time.