Is mian liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis Teachta Sheehan.
Adjournment Debate. - Safety on Ferries.
Sin ceart go leor.
Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire as ucht teacht isteach agus éisteacht leis an rud atá a rá agam ar an cheist tábhachtach seo. I look forward to his reply.
Our last exchange in the House took place on the day of the tragic ferry sinking in Castletownbere. Obviously this sad event was on my mind in wording this question but my constituency of Dublin North also has a ferry service, albeit an irregular one, to Lambay Island from Rogerstown. Because the island is now severely depopulated the ferry service is not as regular as it used to be.
Many other ferries operate daily and the safety of each vessel is critical to normal life for many coastal and inland waterway communities. The Merchant Shipping Act, 1992, is an important measure to ensure safety at sea but my concern, which I am sure is shared by many others, is that the necessary resources do not seem to have been provided to ensure its full effectiveness. How many of our ferries remain unlicensed since the Act was passed two years ago and what amount of money has been spent in pursuing the owners of such ferries to ensure they comply with all the regulations? What resources and staff have been assigned to this task?
Apart from the licence issue, the provision of a lifeboat service is also critical to many ferry users. I understand, for instance, that there is no RNLI station within a reasonable range of Castletownbere and I ask the Minister to take this into account in his plans. It is odd that a town of the size and importance of Castletownbere does not maintain a lifeboat service.
The incidence of such tragedies raises many questions on how safety can be improved. Some people in Cork have told me they are quite surprised that tragedy has been avoided in the past, given the often precarious arrangements which exist for ferrying people and goods. They referred also to experience in other parts of the country. It is important to allay the fears of people, particular those depending on tourism, and tourists themselves.
Mar fhocal scoir, bhí ráité an t-am deireannach gur cuireadh ceisteanna faoin tubaist i mBaile Chaisleáin Bhéara go raibh níos mó cúnaimh ar fáil do bháid farrantóireachta na Gaeltachta ná mar a bhí sa Ghaeltacht.
Ar son na teanga de, creidim gur cheart cúnamh a thabhairt do na hoileáin Ghaeltachta ach nuair atá cúrsaí sabháilteachta i gceist, ní mór cothrom na féinne a thabhairt do Ghalltacht agus do Bhaeltacht.
Impím ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta é sin a rá go soiléir agus impím ar an Rialtas é a chur i bhfeidhm mar tá a fhios agam go bhfuil gach duine, is cuma cén teanga a labhrann siad, chomh brónach céanna de bharr na tubaiste seo.
I thank Deputy Sargent for sharing his time with me on this important matter.
I must impress on the Minister the necessity for treating non-Irish speaking islands in the same manner with regard to grants for the provision of ferry services as Irish speaking islands. Whether it be an Irish speaking island or not, it is surrounded by water which causes the same hardships for islanders who have to travel to and from the mainland. The playing pitch will have to be levelled as far as the treatment of those categories of islands is concerned.
I understand that huge funding has been provided by the European Union for islands off Scotland and that the United Kingdom Government succeeded in getting such funding. I understand the Spaniards have succeeded in getting huge funding for a special air service from the mainland to the Canary Islands. The French and Portugese, received special allocations of European funding to improve ferry services to islands off their coast.
I would appeal to the Minister to endeavour to obtain the necessary funding to upgrade the standard of ferry services to all islands off our coast. If such an initiative saved one life only it would be worth the expenditure.
I thank the Minister for his kindness in travelling to Castletownbere immediately following the recent tragedy there. I know he will do his best to alleviate the problem if at all posible.
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Sargent as ucht an cheist seo a chur os comhair an Tí. Seo an tarna huair gur pléadh an cheist anseo.
I am grateful to Deputy Sargent and to my old pal, Deputy Sheehan, who has seriously concerned himself with fishing and fisheries within the short period I have been responsible for this portfolio, for raising the matter.
As Deputy Sargent correctly pointed out, the Merchant Shipping Act, 1992, for the first time, introduced a requirement that vessels carrying not more than 12 passengers be assessed and licensed whereas, prior to 1992, that requirement applied to vessels carrying in excess of 12 passengers. Therefore, it will be seen that the Act constituted a vast improvement on the position that had obtained up to then.
Deputy Sargent asked about the number of vessels licensed and I wish to inform him that since 1992, 156 ferries in both categories operating around our coast have been assessed and licensed. Prior to licensing each vessel must be surveyed by the Department's marine survey office for sea-worthiness, including stability and construction standards as well as compliance with the relevant life-saving and fire-fighting standards. An additional 60 small ferries have been surveyed and licences will be issued when the deficiencies and shortcomings have been rectified.
Following on the tragic accident in Castletownbere Harbour on 24 February last I instructed that the operation of small ferries be comprehensively reviewed. The tragedy there was that the ferry that went under was not licensed — the Misneach, the regular ferry, was being surveyed at the time. Like other Members I should like to convey my sympathy to the traumatised community and the families of the victims. The review I requested will concentrate on compliance with and enforcement of the law. The review will determine also whether existing safety requirements need to be enhanced particularly in relation to the carriage and loading of vehicles, livestock and other cargo. Local and other agencies, notably harbour masters and the Garda Síochána, have been asked to assist by checking and reporting immediately on any services operating within their local areas which are unlicensed or are operating in any way in contravention of licensing requirements, conditions and safety standards. This reporting arrangement will be continuous.
Other agencies with specialised local knowledge such as the regional fisheries boards, local authorities, the Commissioners of Irish Lights and regional tourist boards are being asked to assist the Department in identifying and targeting non-compliance with licensing requirements, conditions and safety standards.
Other steps which have been or are being taken include the names of licensed operators issued to the media and around the country as part of a strategy to bring community and media pressure on previously unlicensed operators to comply. In addition, the Garda Síochána will be asked to intensify enforcement of the existing law.
The marine safety awareness campaign for 1994, inter alia, will focus on compliance with licensing requirements, conditions and safety standards on small ferries. The inter-departmental islands committee, being chaired by my Department, has been requested to consider and advise, as a matter of urgency, on all possible aspects, including funding, of access transport to our offshore islands and the measures necessary to ensure their safer operation. Furthermore, standards for the carriage of vehicles, livestock and other cargo on all coastal ferries are being assessed with a view to enhancing them, as necessary, and the existing manpower resources of the Marine Survey Office are being reviewed. Deputy Sargent put his finger on a very important point, that of resources, the availability of which is being examined. The responsibilities of the Marine Survey Office are wide-ranging, covering all aspects of maritime safety, including cross-channel ro-ro ferries, conventional cargo ships and container services as well as coastal ferries and fishing vessels.
I assure the House I will spare no effort to ensure that the best possible standards apply and are enforced on all ferries operating in the service of local communities around our coast and to protect the safety of those who utilise those services for work or for pleasure.