At 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 31 January 1990 there was a fire on board the Sealink ship the St. Columba carrying, I understand, 199 passengers and crew. The Ceann Comhairle very kindly allowed me to raise this issue on that day by way of a Private Notice Question but because it was budget day and the Minister understandably had scant information on the incident, I was not able to go into the question in any great detail. For instance, I was not able to find out if the fire was started deliberately, accidentally, or how it occurred. I raised those questions on that occasion but I did not get any answers. I want to ask the Minister if there was more than one fire on board, the damage caused and the number of injuries suffered by the passengers. What was the extent of the danger and how did the emergency services cope in the circumstances?
At 12.20 a.m. on Monday, 9 April 1990, there was a fire on board the B & I vessel Norrona which, I understand was started deliberately, and caused the death of one passenger and injured nine others. Apparently this fire was a copycat attempt of the holocaust on board a Scandinavian liner the day before. Will the Minister confirm that inquiries into this accident are being conducted on both sides of the Irish Sea and that what is in hand is, in fact, a murder inquiry? There were 219 passengers and crew of 71 on board this ship and there could have been a holocaust. Reports indicate that the fire was started deliberately and I ask the Minister to tell the House if this is so.
Will he state the stage each inquiry is at and precisely when final reports will be available to the House on both incidents? Has the Minister undertaken or caused to be undertaken a review of security for passengers on board ferries using the Irish Sea or Irish ports in general? Is the Minister happy that safety requirements have been reviewed? If this is so in both cases, will he give the details of the reviews and their outcome?
Does the Minister not agree that security at seaports should be every bit as tight and careful as at airports? Will he tell the House whether the Government intend introducing legislation to provide for special penalties for persons involved in crime of a kind which threaten the lives of persons on sea vessels, particularly passenger ferries, using Irish ports? I have no information on the first incident and I ask the Minister to provide as much information as he can on it so that it can be cleared up here today.
There has been much speculation in the newspapers and on radio and television about the second incident. Unfortunately this House was in recess when the incident occurred and it was not possible to raise the matter directly in the House. As it is almost three weeks since this incident occurred, it is important that this House be given the details of precisely what happened the second fire. I ask the Minister to provide us with as much detail as possible. It is of the utmost importance that we know whether there are serious matters which need to be addressed by this House because as an island State, the safety of our sea vessels must be in no doubt whatsoever.
I want to make it very clear that this side of the House will facilitate the early introduction and passage of any legislation the Government believe is necessary to deal with any problems which come to light as a result of the reviews. This House needs to address this question and I ask the Minister to fill in the blanks so thet we will know where we stand and can decide how to address the matter.