Vol. 426 No. 6
3 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Marine if he has satisfied himself that sea ferries such as the Havelet and the Stena Hibernia are seaworthy in storm force gales, as are likely to occur in the north Atlantic and the Irish Sea, and which caused severe damage in both ferries in recent months.
I am advised that these ferries were designed and constructed to withstand the type of weather conditions which may be experienced in rough seas.
Both ferries hold valid passenger and ship safety certificates issued by their flag administrations, which certify that the ships have been surveyed in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended, and that such survey showed that the ships comply with the requirements of that convention as regards, inter alia, the structure, subdivision and stability, watertight bulkheads, loadlines, hull integrity, and so on. These surveys are carried out annually.
In addition, it is our policy that foreign-registered ferries, such as the Havelet and Stena Hibernia, providing a regular service to and from Irish ports are also subjected to inspections by the Irish authorities. Such inspections are carried out at least once a year, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, which is operated by a number of European countries. Both the Havelet and the Stena Hibernia have been so inspected by the Department's marine surveyors.
I should emphasise that, in the incidents involving the Havelet and Stena Hibernia, the vessels suffered minimal damage. All ships are subject to rolling and pitching in bad weather conditions. In these incidents the vessels rolled severely and then returned to the upright position as a result of the stability characteristics of the vessels.
It is worth noting that notwithstanding these incidents both the Havelet and Stena Hibernia have a good record of safe operation in Irish and European waters since 1977. In light of recent incidents, however, public concerns about aspects of ferry operations and arising out of the Deputy's concern in the matter I have requested the National Ferry Safety Committee to consider the scope for additional measures to enhance on-board passenger and vehicle safety. I have also asked the committee to review criteria for the operation of ferries in particularly adverse weather conditions.
I assure the Deputy that, when these findings become available, I will let him have them, if he so wishes.
Would the Minister agree that there have been two near disasters with these two ferries and that the passengers and crew on board were terrified by the experience? Is it not the case that ferries in general, operating on the sea routes between Ireland, Britain and the continent are really not suitable for the type of weather we encounter occasionally and, because of their particularly high elevation out of the water, are prone to turning over? Is it not likely that we could have a disaster of the nature of the Zeebrugge affair, albeit not in the very same circumstance?
I concede that the Deputy has a point and the principle of an inevitable accident would no doubt arise. In the circumstances of the type of ferries that ply between Ireland and Great Britain it is fair to say, so as to reassure the public and the fee paying passengers, that these ferries are known to be safe. I would not necessarily concede all that the Deputy is saying. One or two experiences do not necessarily condemn all ferries.
Two.
In relation to the weather conditions, the question of whether a ferry should leave port would be entirely in the judgment of the master and his concern would be, in whatever priority he wished, for the passengers, the crew and for the ship. Taking account of that, passengers using the seaways between Ireland and Britain can go abroad feeling safe and secure based on the judgments I have outlined.
