asked the Minister for Communications his view on the safety standards of car ferries operating out of Irish ports; if any changes are planned for safety procedures following the capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Car Ferries Safety Standards.
7.
At present there are four passenger car ferries registered under the Irish flag, namely, Leinster and Connacht operated by B & I Line, St. Killian II and St. Patrick II operated by Irish Continental Line. The four vessels fully comply with the standards laid down by the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, 1974, which came into force in May 1980. They are fitted with a number of watertight bulkheads up to car deck or freeboard deck level, these bulkheads being so spaced that in case of flooding of any two adjacent watertight compartments the vessel will stay afloat with the car deck above sea level and in addition will still retain positive stability.
The arrangement on the four Irish registered vessels is different from that of the Herald of Free Enterprise in that the bow ramp for loading vehicles serves as a watertight inner door and must be closed before the outer door. The outerdoor or visor is part of the bow of the ship and as such is in full view of the master while open and if left open could be an obstruction to his line of sight while navigating. All doors are required to be closed and secured before a vessel proceeds to sea. Apart from bridge indication that the doors are closed, there is also a communication procedure between the officer closing the door and the master on the bridge.
The operation and watertightness of the doors are checked out very thoroughly by my Department's surveyors on an annual basis and the owners concerned are obliged to report to my Department immediately any defects affecting the efficiency of the closing arrangements. Since the recent casualty to the Herald of Free Enterprise the surveyors have been carrying out special inspections of the door closing arrangements and procedure on Irish Flag vessels. This has already been done in the case of three vessels, and the fourth vessel, St. Patrick II, which is currently withdrawn from service, will be checked out before returning to service.
Finally, I may add that my Department's survey staff have always in the past made, and will continue to make, owners, masters, etc., acutely aware of the importance of maintaining watertight integrity and, in this regard, from a structural point of view, have always insisted that Irish flag vessels are fitted with an extra locking device or "Atlantic Lock" on the bow visor or door. The Brittany Ferries Service to and from Cork has recently recommenced and my Department's surveyors will be inspecting the vessel shortly. The Polish car ferry chartered by Cork-Swansea Ferries Limited will also be inspected.
I thank the Minister for his very detailed reply but my original question related to ferries operating out of Irish ports. To that extent I would like to ask the Minister whether his investigations and survey cover the operations of Sealink ferries out of Irish ports? Recently, we were shown in the national media a photograph of one of those ferries at sea clearly indicating that the nose bow was still open. Does the Minister's survey cover those boats? If any accident occurs involving them we will have the responsibility once they are in Irish waters. Do the inspectors of the Department check, by travelling on a regular basis, on the ferries operating out of Irish ports for the purposes of an ongoing review of the safety standards involved?
I thank the Deputy for his appreciation of the reply. I want to tell him that the very first thing I did on becoming Minister was to idicate that I wanted a report immediately on the Irish flag ferries. With regard to what the Deputy has raised about Sealink, as he knows, Sealink are privately owned and do not own an Irish flagged ferry. I will call the attention of my technical officers to the point made by the Deputy in his supplementary question. I have travelled on all the Irish flag ferries. Three or four members of my family have worked on them at various times. I am very glad to have had the assurance that our own ferries are being so carefully and punctiliously looked after from that point of view.
In that regard has the Minister any intention of making it a criminal offence for a ferry to depart dock in this jurisdiction without having its doors properly sealed?
I have asked the relevant officer of my Department to look at the possibility of preparing legislation to meet other eventualities. I will take cognisance of what the Deputy has said in this regard.
Finally, will the Minister tell us the safety drills which are enforced on our ferries with regard to advising passengers when they board? As we are all aware, before aeroplanes take off there is always a safety drill. Are similar type drills in operation on our ferries? If not, has the Minister any proposals to introduce that type of information for passengers on boarding?
The ferry companies do stress the safety requirements and the course of action which should be taken in the event of any kind of emergency. The ferry company concerned will be asked to ensure that they are right up-to-date in so far as the current regulations are concerned. My notes indicate that my Department have covered all eventualities such as the Zeebrugge disaster but I hope we will never experience such a disaster.
As the Minister indicates that there is no drill involved, does he consider that such a drill is unnecessary on our boats?
As I have said to the Deputy and as he is aware — I am sure he has used those ferries — there are very careful instructions, incorporated into the various areas of the ferries, as to what to do in the case of emergency.
Can the Minister assure us that the drills and checks he suggests are taken are adequate to ensure that no pasengers remain on the car and lorry decks after the ferries have left port as happened in the case of the Herald of Free Enterprise?
I understand that has been reported. I have no evidence other than newspaper reports on that matter. The present regulations demand that people should not sleep in cabs on these decks.
Question No. 8.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I am sorry, Deputy, I am calling the next question.
I have been trying to get in for some time.
A brief question then, Deputy.
The Minister in his reply indicated that he had introduced special procedures to ensure higher safety standards. Am I to take it that those special procedures will be integrated into what are the normal procedures to maintain these higher safety standards which are now seen to be necessary in view of the disaster which occurred at Zeebrugge?
The Minister did not make any such statement.