Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 5

Sea Pollution (Amendment) Bill, 1998: Second Stage.

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

This Bill is an important component in the body of measures which have been constructed to protect and enhance the marine environment. It will make the reporting of oil pollution incidents or potential incidents mandatory. Harbour authorities, ships carrying oil as cargo, operators of offshore installations, oil handling and producing facilities and, in certain circumstances, local authorities, will now have to put in place oil pollution emergency plans.

It also extends Ireland's jurisdiction for dealing with pollution incidents from the current 12 mile limit to 200 miles. This is a vital step in the further protection of our marine environment and the valuable maritime and coastal resources which depend on it. This Bill also proposes tough new penalties of up to £10 million for non-compliance.

The Irish Marine Emergency Service, IMES, will be designated as the national agency which will have the power to direct the preparation of these emergency plans as a statutory requirement. Individual plans will be co-ordinated with the overall national plan.

Increased co-operation with other coastal states, in the event of oil pollution, is also provided for. International co-operation and support is a vital part of responding to major marine emergencies all over the world. Services from neighbouring countries willingly assist each other in situations where geography and separate administrations are of secondary importance. The Bill will create a framework for co-operation between the Irish Marine Emergency Service, IMES, harbour authorities, local authorities and the operators of oil tankers, offshore installations and oil handling facilities. Our extensive coastline makes us vulnerable to oil pollution accidents. The devastating effects that spillages can have on the marine and coastal environments have been made all too clear by the Braer and the Sea Empress accidents. The measures in the Bill provide strong safeguards for our seas and shoreline amenities and the communities which depend on them in the event of any such incident.

The Bill gives effect to the Oil Pollution Preparedness Response and Co-operation Convention, OPRC, 1990. This convention is designed to ensure proper arrangements are in place in each member state of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, to deal with emergencies arising from oil spillages into the sea. It calls for member states to have a major national emergency plan to deal with major spillages and a designated response agency and to co-operate with the IMO and adjoining states in planning for and dealing with oil pollution incidents.

There is a requirement on all ships carrying oil as cargo and all installations producing or handling oil products to have emergency pollution plans in place and for anyone becoming aware of a spillage to notify the national agency. The Irish Marine Emergency Service, IMES, which was set up in 1991 as part of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, was designated the Irish response agency and has made the necessary arrangements to give effect to the convention. However, it is necessary to provide a statutory basis for action by the designated response agency in implementing the convention; to enable that agency to direct the preparation of emergency plans by others as a statutory requirement and to make reporting of oil pollution incidents or potential ones mandatory. The Bill fulfils this legislative requirement.

Since becoming Minister I have accorded a high priority to the protection of the marine environment. The high quality of our marine environment is an important element of Ireland's natural endowment, both for its intrinsic value and as a major resource for marine tourism and leisure and the marine food sector. Ireland has consistently argued at EU meetings and international fora for the highest possible international standards in this area. It has a corresponding responsibility to ensure that it introduces both the appropriate legislation and the measures necessary for implementation. Small countries as well as large have serious obligations in this regard. The Bill complements a number of other measures which have been introduced in recent years or are currently being prepared.

The Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) (Amendment) Act, 1998, was enacted in May. It strengthens the law in regard to oil pollution by bringing it into line with current international conventions and increases the level of compensation in the event of an oil spill to a maximum of £195 million. In 1997 four sets of regulations were made under the Sea Pollution Act, 1991, to give effect to provisions of the IMO Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, known as the MARPOL convention. Work is under way to adopt further provisions of MARPOL concerning the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships and the prevention of air pollution from ships.

In March 1998, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic, OSPAR, came into force internationally following ratification by all the contracting parties. In July 1998 I led the Irish delegation to the first ministerial meeting of the OSPAR Commission in Portugal. It adopted a new annex to the convention dealing with biodiversity, a series of strategies and an action plan for the OSPAR commission. It also adopted a decision governing the disposal of disused offshore installations. Under the auspices of OSPAR the drafting of a comprehensive quality status report, containing essentially a health check of our adjacent marine environment, has been completed and will be published shortly. My Department, in conjunction with the Marine Institute, and in consultation with industry representatives, has continued to develop a strategy for the environmental regulation of offshore oil and gas activities. This will take account of the strategy on offshore industry, which is currently being prepared under the auspices of the OSPAR convention.

I established a task force on the dumping of radioactive materials in the maritime area in 1997, in the wake of revelations by the UK Government that radioactive waste had been dumped at a number of locations around the coast of the UK during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. I expect it to report during the coming months. A total of 28 phosphorus devices washed up along the east coast between 3 and 8 June 1998. A further device washed ashore on 19 July 1998. These devices apparently originated in the Beaufort Dyke dump site, which lies between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

My Department immediately contacted the UK authorities to express the Government's serious concern at these developments and, subsequently, meetings were held with senior officials from a range of UK Departments and agencies to discuss the problem; I had discussions with the Ministers concerned. In addition, I raised the issue at the ministerial meeting of the OSPAR Commission, and OSPAR subsequently agreed to examine the issue of dumped munitions in the waters around Europe. It asked Ireland, as lead country, to prepare a paper on the problems posed by dumped munitions. This will form the basis for future action on the subject.

Deputies will be aware that 1998 was designated International Year of the Ocean by the United Nations. I signed the Ocean Charter, which was sponsored by the International Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to mark the occasion. In December I also opened the Oceans Conference at Dublin Castle, which was hosted by the Marine Institute. In addition, my Department was represented at the second London Oceans Workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to mark the International Year of the Ocean and also to prepare for the 7th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, CSD 7, in New York next month. Oceans and seas will be the major sectoral theme of CSD 7, at which I will represent Ireland. The shoreline protection strategy was recently completed by IMES. It is intended to commence testing this plan during the coming months. Local authorities and harbours have been requested to compile contingency plans and are finding the strategy extremely useful in assisting them in this regard.

Following agreement at the IMO Assembly, which I addressed in November 1997, to make mandatory the INF code which governs the transport by sea of irradiated nuclear fuels, my Department is developing unproved reporting arrangements governing the carriage of nuclear materials by sea both within the context of the IMO and, bilaterally, with the United Kingdom and France. Of course, we would be much happier if they were not transported.

My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Byrne, continues to serve on the ministerial committee on Sellafield and on radiological protection generally under the chairmanship of the Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise, Deputy Jacob. The measures to which I have referred set out the context in which the Bill is being introduced. The marine environment is an issue of concern to all Deputies and, indeed, to the community at large. It is a subject to which considerable attention has been paid in recent years, but which requires vigilance from all parties involved. I look forward to Deputies' contributions in the matter and commend the Bill to the House.

Mr. Finucane

I wish to share my time with Deputies Clune and Naughten.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. Finucane

The introduction of the Bill is timely. I watched a programme on television last night which marked the tenth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the Alaskan coast. It illustrated the systems that had been put in place to ensure a similar incident did not occur again in the area. It showed the great lengths people went to in terms of preparedness. The Bill is a step in the right direction. Many international vessels pass through Irish territorial waters and we have often been reminded of the hazards of large tankers. Many tankers are old and that was brought home to us when the Sea Empress ran aground off the Welsh coast in 1996. Indeed, oil from that spillage reached the east coast of Ireland and but for the prevailing favourable conditions much more damage would have been done. It is only right that everything is done to prepare for potential oil spills.

In 1990 the forerunner to this Bill, the Sea Pollution Bill, which this Bill amends, was published. There has probably been a dramatic increase in the size of vessels since then. Much of the fleet is quite old. However, there is increased technology on many of our vessels now, particularly the new ones. It is often the case that financiers are based in one country and the vessels are owned and crewed by people from other countries. This gives rise to many complications. The people who man the vessels often tend to come from Third World countries. Communications difficulties add to the potential for problems arising. We are clearly vulnerable when it comes to marine casualties involving oil.

The measures envisaged in the Bill seem to be confined to ships in the main. How does one define a ‘ship'? Perhaps the Minister will clarify whether the measures would apply to fishing trawlers as well as tankers, larger vessels and luxury cruising vessels which travel to Lough Derg and other places. All vessels have the potential to create waste. Over the weekend, I visited many fishing ports in Donegal to get an on-the-spot assessment of the situation which prevails there. Many ports are under the control of local authorities. Do they have the necessary facilities when a vessel sails into them to dispose of oil and other waste? Are those facilities provided by the harbours themselves and, if so, what is the situation in regard to harbours which are financially constrained? Do they have to provide equipment?

The measures contained in the Bill are laudable. We should implement the measures contained in the Oil Pollution Preparedness Response and Co-operation Convention, 1990. However, a financial commitment is also required. While it may be possible for many of our commercial semi-State ports, which operate as strong financial entities, to put oil preparation programmes in place, many other ports remain under the control of local authorities. It may be necessary for us to provide guidance to them and to provide equipment and funding to allow them to implement the measures required. I contend that a great deal of waste is being dumped at sea by vessels which use these ports.

Recent statistics show that more than 6.5 million tonnes of waste are dumped at sea each year. That is a huge amount of waste, a large proportion of which is plastic. When a person buys a six pack of beer cans, the plastic packaging poses danger to fish and mammals which consume it. Many of us are not sufficiently responsible in regard to waste disposal. Many people seem to view the seas as a large receptacle for potential waste. One need only walk along our coastline to see the amount of debris washed ashore. A recent statistic revealed that 1,600 miles of monofilament nets were washed ashore in the south-east Pacific, 600 miles of which came from Japan. That is a frightening statistic.

There is a clear necessity for us to improve the environment as the younger generation will assess us on the manner in which we have treated it. They cannot assess us favourably at this stage. Many of the laws we have implemented recently have been positive. However, it is very easy for us to introduce legislation in this House, but the Department needs to guide, cajole, advise and provide funding to people in order to effect the legislation's implementation. That is crucially important in regard to what we are trying to achieve through this Bill.

The Bill states that the Minister may require a local authority within such a period as is specified by the Minister to prepare and submit to him or her a plan for the prevention and minimisation of damage arising out of an oil pollution incident to any area or seashore which lies wholly or partly within its functional area or contiguous thereto. If a vessel becomes aware of an oil slick 200 miles off our coastline, it may notify the Minister. I presume the vessel owner will not know the Minister's name but will possibly contact a local harbour or the vessel's port of destination. Perhaps many of the issues on which I require clarification might be more appropriately dealt with on Committee Stage. Interpretations could be teased out at that point.

The Minister referred to the report of the task force he established on dumping off the Irish coast, particularly in the Beaufort Dyke. We have awaited the publication of that report for some time. Parliamentary questions have again been tabled on it today. Every time the Minister attends Question Time, we wait in eager anticipation of details of the report's publication and are informed it will be published shortly. The Minister stated it will be published in the next few months. We are all anxious to see the report as the Irish Sea has been identified as one of the most radioactive in the world. Concern has quite rightly focused on Sellafield and the nuclear pollution which is affecting the seaweed and fish life off the Welsh coast.

The Minister also referred to the phosphorous devices being washed up on Irish coasts which have possibly been dislodged from an old munitions dump in the Beaufort Dyke as a result of storms. An investigation has been established on that matter and submersible equipment was to be sent down to establish what quantities of material existed in the dump and what kind of turbulence resulted in dangerous phosphorous devices being washed ashore. I presume the report, when it is published, will refer to this matter.

I welcome the Bill but I hope the Department will provide the appropriate assistance to harbours which may not have the necessary wherewithal to implement the Bill's measures. We must ensure that the waste dumped at sea is dumped in appropriate facilities when vessels come ashore. This Bill, together with preceding legislation on oil pollution, will hopefully lead to improving the environment we all value so much.

Ms Clune

I, too, welcome the Bill. Anything which brings us a step closer to protecting our marine environment and recognising its importance is to be welcomed. There is a perception that our seas and oceans are vast, and an out of sight, out of mind attitude appears to prevail in regard to them. We have a great deal of knowledge about the effects of pollution in our seas, be it oil pollution, sewage waste, nuclear waste or general domestic and municipal waste. Their effects on our marine environment have been well documented. The Irish Marine Emergency Service is in charge of organising and directing the response to oil spills at sea. The service co-ordinates the functions of other authorities involved in on-shore response. When notified of a spill the Irish Marine Emergency Service can mobilise its marine pollution response team which will proceed to the scene and establish a local headquarters. They take control of the response and look to the body responsible for the spill for resources and assistance.

Recently there was an accident at the refinery in Cork Harbour. There was much confusion at the time of the spill which was caused by a leak from an oil pipe. Cork County Council, the responsible local authority, responded immediately using booms in an effort to contain the spill. However, after two days it was found this was not sufficient and they called in additional resources from the UK. Much time was lost in the delay and much damage was done in the area.

The Department of the Environment and Local Government has a general responsibility for shoreline clean-up arrangements and a co-ordinating and supporting function for maritime local authorities which undertake the clean-up of oil from beaches and near-shore waters. Under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1997, local authorities have the authority and means to deal with spills in their jurisdiction. Harbour authorities deal with spills in harbours, although the Office of Public Works becomes involved in the case of State harbours. The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has overall responsibility for the protection of fisheries and wildlife in major fishing ports.

We do not favour the use of dispersants, especially inshore, in rivers and estuaries. However, the Irish Marine Emergency Service may consider their use off-shore if untreated oil is likely to reach the shore. Dispersants are not stock-piled and if their use is necessary, stocks and aerial spray contractors are brought in from overseas. I understand the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has small amounts of sorbents, booms and skimmers stockpiled at Cork, Dublin and Limerick. Most harbour and local authorities also have small equipment depots which hold booms, skimmers, sorbents and work boats.

The oil industry has a variety of equipment for dealing with spills at terminals. Bantry Terminal Limited has an inshore recovery vessel based in Bantry Bay. There are no specialist oil spill clean up operators in Cork, and a UK based company is contracted by Irish National Petroleum Corporation to provide back-up resources on a 24 hour basis in the event of a major spill at Whitegate crude oil terminal in Cork Harbour. This was put into action when the oil spill occurred in Cork in 1997.

One would need to visit an oil spill to see the way in which oil floats on water. The day of the Cork spill was calm and it caused a smell in the area. The local authorities in the area tried to contain the spill with booms. However, the tides worked against this approach and some of the oil which had been contained was washed up on shore with every change of tide. The sand had to be dug, put in black sacks, washed and cleaned and then returned to the shore. It was a very labour intensive, slow and expensive operation in response to what was originally described as a relatively minor spill. The spill also effected fish and wildlife in the area. The recovery from such an oil spill is very slow. Birds have to be washed, cleaned and returned to their habitats. None of us should underestimate how disastrous an oil spill can be.

Every day approximately 31 billion gallons of oil are transported at sea via tankers, storage tanks, pipelines, oil wells and vessels used for cleaning out tanks. Oil is used for fuel, electricity generation, etc.

Accidents are often caused through carelessness, something which is well documented but sometimes there are unavoidable spills because of weather or earthquakes while on occasion there can be intentional spills in cases of terrorism, war, vandalism and dumping.

Oil floats because it is much lighter than water, with between 30 per cent and 40 per cent evaporating in the first 24 to 48 hours. This accounts for the most poisonous and noxious portion, the most soluble and flammable portion. It floats and spreads into a very thin film on the water surface, usually only about 0.1 mm thick. It then spreads even thinner to a sheen, which is only one tenth or one hundredth of this thickness. Sheens are often seen as rainbow like or silvery puddles. It is very rare for oil to sink in seawater, although it may sink in freshwater. Oil adheres to heavier particles, such as sand, algae or silt, before it will sink. The only exception to this is oil used for burning in electric utility plants which can sink in water.

The environmental impact of oil spillages can be exaggerated. Some scientists say that, given plenty of time, the environment can recover from oil spills. However, the immediate effect of an oil spill is quite alarming, particularly to the local population when it is washed up on the shoreline. The response teams often protect the sensitive areas with floating booms. Immediate containment is very important in the event of an oil spill. The response to the spill in Cork Harbour in 1997 was delayed and we are still seeing the effects of this.

There are many methods of cleaning up oil spills which have been well documented, including shoreline clean-up which is a long, slow and laborious task.

While concerned with oil pollution the Bill also deals with sea pollution in general and I welcome the fact that dumping at sea, including the dumping of sewage sludge, will be banned. This poses problems of how to deal with such waste on land. For years the practice has been to dump sewage sludge at sea on the basis "out of sight, out of mind". However, eventually such waste mixes with the sea and has an effect somewhere. Sewage and chemical outflows must now be documented and registered with the EPA. A sewage treatment facility is being built in Cork Harbour and there are no longer direct discharges into the harbour, something we must welcome.

The EPA plays a role in terms of controlling oil pollution and pollution in our harbours and seas and I would like the Minister in his response to refer to its role in this context.

Deputy Finucane mentioned discharges from Sellafield, which affect us as is evident from seaweed samples and fish caught on the east coast. Another issue is the dumping of general municipal waste at sea, a practice which has been going on for some time. The practice of dumping sewage sludge and domestic and municipal waste at sea will come to an end with the new landfill directives and waste management regulations.

I welcome the Bill and it is good to see we are taking a positive step and co-ordinating the emergency responses of those involved in the clean-up process. Prevention is probably a better part of the cure.

Mr. Naughten

Like the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am from an inland county. While it may be strange to hear Deputies from inland counties speak on marine pollution, we visit the sea and witness the pollution around the coast. We also have a greater appreciation of the sea because we do not see it very often, except perhaps when we come to Dublin.

I welcome the Bill because it provides an opportunity to examine a number of issues concerning pollution of the seas around the coast. I will deal with one issue, ballast water, which is becoming a major environmental risk to our ports. Large tankers carry sufficient ballast water to fill 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. However, it can be a Trojan horse. Ballast water is taken on board ships to maintain their stability when they are partially laden. When a ship is loaded with cargo, it empties its ballast tanks. In this way, ballast water is sucked up in one port and transported across the ocean to another port where it is discharged with any tiny stowaway organisms which may be present in it.

For the most part, these organisms fail to gain a foothold in their new environment. However, there has been a handful of cases where serious ecological and economic damage has been caused. The American comb jelly, similar to the jellyfish, is believed to have been transported in ballast water from the east coast of America to the Black Sea in the 1970s. It soon began competing with indigenous organisms for food, eventually crippling the local anchovy fishing industry. Similarly, in the 1980s the European zebra mussel, native to the Caspian and Black Seas, found its way to the Great Lakes of north America, where it proliferated widely causing serious fouling problems around water intake pipes in power plants and factories. In 1990, the US federal Government pledged $11 million per year to tackle the problem.

Ballast water can be a form of bio-pollution, a problem which is as old as travel itself. Research shows it has increased rapidly in recent decades as growing trade and faster transport shrink the world. It is suspected that, as ships become faster, organisms are more likely to survive the shorter journey times. Some scientists believe pollution around ports may destabilise natural ecosystems, thus enabling exotic organisms to thrive. The issue of tiny aliens in ballast water may have major implications for the aquaculture industry. It is crucial, therefore, that we recognise the problem and set about putting in place the necessary safeguards. The Minister is well aware that oil tankers carry ballast water and that this is covered by the Bill.

In 1991 the International Maritime Organisation issued guidelines on ballast water management which were updated in 1997. These included not loading ballast water in shallow water or in areas where propellers could stir up sediment or discharging ballast water unnecessarily. The guidelines suggest that, in some cases, ballast water should be exchanged in the open sea, pumping out water drawn from the port in the deep ocean and replacing it with water from the deep ocean. Deep ocean water does not contain as many organisms and the few which are present usually will not survive in coastal and freshwater environments. Other means of tackling the problem are also being investigated. These include the use of heat from the ship's engines to treat the water, chemical treatment and filtration. It is crucially important these guidelines are put in place on an international statutory basis to ensure the protection of the aquaculture industry which is worth £60 million per annum to this country.

We are fortunate to have escaped in the past because of our poor trade links and the lack of port utilisation. However, these are now beginning to develop. We have spoken of developing all our major ports and I welcome the initiative the Minister is taking in that regard. However, as they develop, there will be a greater risk of ballast water pollution and part of the aquaculture industry could be destroyed because of, for example, the zebra mussel coming into estuaries. It is crucially important we examine these issues now and not in ten years' time, when it is a serious problem. There has not been the opportunity for this to happen in the past because our ports have not been developed to the same extent as others around the world. However, major research is being conducted in the UK on this issue and we need to invest more in marine research and biology to examine such issues.

It is crucially important that we invest more in research on micro-organisms which can tackle oil pollution off the coast. Deputy Finucane mentioned the Exxon Valdez, which is a prime example of micro-organisms being used to break down oil. It is environmentally friendly with lasting side effects. Deputy Clune mentioned the reluctance to use detergents or dispersants in the sea, especially around coasts. This is an ideal example of where micro-organisms could be used. As Deputy Sargent is present, I remind him that one way of developing these microbial dispersants and detergents is through genetic engineering.

Mr. Sargent

We do not eat them.

Mr. Naughten

Genetic engineering is the best way to develop micro-organisms to break down oil. Although the Green Party might assume some of these organisms might enter the fish stock which we would later eat, we must nonetheless examine the potential of genetic engineering in tackling these environmental concerns. Perhaps the Minister could ensure investment is made in this type of research because it will become more significant in future.

There is huge potential in inland waterways and sea inlets, but there is also a problem with oil pollution and even rubbish and diesel getting into rivers. What controls are in place and what Department deals specifically with the control and regulation of pollution in inlets around the coast? Is it dealt with through local authorities or has the Department an overall role to play in relation to inland waterways? The Leas-Cheann Comhairle would be familiar with the largest, the Shannon-Erne Waterway, which will be developed dramatically in years to come. Resources need to be made available not only to tackle pollution but also to ensure a proper and co-ordinated safety approach to inland waterways.

It is fine to introduce legislation such as this Bill, but many small harbour commissions and authorities cannot afford to buy the necessary equipment to tackle oil pollution. There is no point in the Minister introducing the legislation unless he is willing to provide resources to the harbour authorities, especially the smaller ones, to combat these pollution problems.

Mr. Bell

I wish to share my time with Deputy Sargent.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. Bell

As a member of two local authorities and chairman of a harbour authority for a long time, I join the two previous speakers in emphasising to the Minister the reliance of local authorities on finance given to them in the Estimates. While harbour authorities may be controlled indirectly by the Department, they are commercial entities which have to provide their own finance. There is no point, therefore, in introducing legislation, no matter how good it may be, if the necessary finance will not be provided. I will not refer to the explosive devices washed ashore on the east coast to which the Minister referred. I have tabled a detailed question on the subject which is due to be taken this afternoon.

The focus of the Bill, which I welcome, is primarily on increasing the responsibility of the Government in controlling, preventing and dealing with pollution at sea. As an island nation, we have an important relationship with the sea in terms of the fishing industry, sea transport, heavy industry and tourism. It is crucial that we have the ability to ensure our seas are not left open to pollution and mismanagement and that we are in a position to deal effectively with pollution.

The Bill provides for some important safeguards. Unless the necessary resources are made available, however, to the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources it will amount to nothing more than a farce. It is accepted by all sides that the Department is underfunded and under-resourced. If the provisions of the Bill are to be effective, it is essential that it is treated differently.

One of the key sections of the Bill extends the Irish maritime area 200 miles from our coast baseline. As a result the Irish sea area will be ten times the size of the Irish land area. This is part of a pattern where the Irish maritime area is gradually being extended by domestic and EU legislation. We have failed, however, to provide additional resources to ensure maximum surveillance of this extended sea area by the Naval Service and the Air Corps. If the Irish sea area is extended further, will the Minister be in a position to improve the coastguard services which are highly inadequate? It would be absurd to pass the Bill without receiving a commitment from the Government that it will seek to improve them.

Another issue about which I am concerned is the role extended to the Department in relation to offshore oil exploitation. The main source of oil pollution to date has been sea transport. We have been able to deal adequately with it. In light of some serious incidents in recent years arising from offshore oil exploration, it is vital that measures are put in place which would enable us to deal with large-scale pollution.

The Department has responsibility for policing and promoting the development of offshore oil exploration. These two functions do not sit comfortably together and should be the responsibility of separate Departments.

The Bill provides that the Minister may give directions in relation to the modification or alter ation of emergency plans covering oil pollution incidents. Individual Governments cannot make or shape the exact procedures to deal with pollution in isolation from other Governments. The damage an oil spillage may cause depends on the prevailing winds, tides, etc. It may be that winds could force the spillage beyond the seas which fall under the jurisdiction of a particular state. An intergovernmental approach should be adopted to the contingency plans required to deal with oil pollution. There is a case to be made for extending the role of the OSPAR convention.

The Minister will be aware that many local authorities do not have the necessary outdoor staff to fill potholes or clear gulleys when it rains. What discussions have taken place with his colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, in this regard? Will the Minister for the Environment and Local Government be responsible for the operation of the plans mentioned in the Bill or will the Minister and his colleague work together?

The Bill has many good points and I have no hesitation, on behalf of the Labour Party, in supporting it.

Mr. Sargent

Ba mhaith liom ar dtús buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Michael Bell as ucht a chuid ama a roinnt liom. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh aon rud a dheineann maitheas don bhfarraige.

The Bill has many valuable aspirations which I hope will be translated into effective measures. To ensure this the necessary resources and technology should be made available.

The importance of the oceans should be highlighted. They play a vital role in regulating our climate and ensuring the biodiversity on which many depend. This should be of interest to everybody on the island, not just coastal communities. From an economic point of view, we are reliant on farming. It should be recognised that the oceans absorb a considerable amount of CO2 and greenhouse gases.

The Exxon Valdez tragedy taught us many lessons. Strange as it may seem, it taught us that a disaster such as an oil spillage could provide an economic boost. GNP in Alaska was boosted. When economic progress is measured by the amount spent Governments run the risk of getting it wrong and translating disaster into economic benefits. The absurdity of measuring the disastrous impact of the oil spillage from the Exxon Valdes as an economic benefit is not lost on anybody who thinks about it seriously.

Having referred to the need for economic reform, I will deal with the specifics. The Minister put the emphasis on dealing with oil pollution, however, strong safeguards are almost meaningless unless we have the means to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for it. Will the Minister take on board the available technology to fingerprint oil and find the source of pollution so that a legally watertight case can be made by the law enforcement agencies. As well as having these legislative provisions in place, it is important to communicate to everybody that those who cause oil pollution will be caught.

The proliferation of plastic worldwide inevitably means that the oceans tend to become the receptacle for plastic waste. This is a growing problem and a life and death issue for marine life, fish, mammals and crustaceans. There is a considerable body of evidence that plastic not only hinders animals, but is ingested by them because from a visual point of view it is similar to food sources. As well as being a biodiversity issue which the Minister is bound to address under OSPAR, the waste management aspect impacts on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government's brief. The Minister will acknowledge that harbours should have proper waste collection receptacles and ways of dealing with waste. Even though the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has erected "No Dumping" signs, these are frequently disregarded and are felt to be meaningless because there are no waste receptacles. We need to facilitate people to deal with their waste as well as enforcing the law. The Minister needs to deal with this issue if the Bill is to have effect.

We are a marine nation, yet we have fallen behind in having the facilities to deal with problems, such as seals which are injured around our shore. The Minister will be aware of the seal sanctuary in Garristown, the facilities in Skerries and of people such as Mr. Willie Duffy and Mr. Brendan and Ms Mary Price who have waged a long and lonely fight on the need for properly resourced facilities to educate the public on the importance of the marine environment and show our concern for wildlife. I hope the Minister will respond to this point.

The Minister referred to the ministerial committee on Sellafield which seems to be meeting in a quiet fashion. Given that there have been three accidents in the past month at Sellafield, which seemed to have passed unnoticed, publicly at least from the Government's point of view, it would be interesting to see a progress report from this committee. The Minister referred to phosphorous devices, which are as much a problem in Dublin North as in other coastal communities. There needs to be more warning instructions and signs on how to deal with these devices safely.

From his long involvement with marine matters, I know the Minister is genuinely concerned, however Government concern, when it does not provide the investment necessary for sewage treatment around the coast is hypocritical. The local authorities do not have the funds to deal with sewage treatment, particularly in coastal communities. This issue must be addressed if the rhetoric is to be credible. Harbours such as Howth, Balbriggan, Rush, Skerries and others which are not viewed as major harbours by the EU but are of importance from the point of view of tourism, fishing and marine life, are not able to function owing to lack of finance. The local authorities are expected to carry out remedial works on structures that have been neglected for so many years they are liabilities, and I fear for their long-term future. There is a need for Government action and it is the Minister's responsibility to see it is forthcoming.

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

I thank Deputies for their very comprehensive contributions and I appreciate their continued interest in this important subject. It is obvious that Deputies know the position very well and have a great interest in it. I indicated in my opening speech that this is a technical Bill but a most important measure for the protection of the marine environment as it enables us to meet our commitments as part of the international maritime community and puts the response procedures that have been developed by them on a statutory footing. I will give very careful consideration to the points that have been raised and I look forward to discussing the provisions of the Bill on Committee Stage.

Deputy Bell asked what the Bill will achieve. In effect we are implementing an international convention, which is a major step and will be very important for the future. On the question of aerial surveillance, this is carried out for the Department by the Air Corps. We recently had a private firm on an independent contract carry out a very detailed aerial surveillance. We are moving along those lines. The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources will have overall responsibility.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

If we are to conclude the Bill today will the Minister draw his remarks to a conclusion, or will he adjourn the debate?

Dr. Woods

Deputy Finucane made a number of points which I can deal with on Committee Stage. I thank Deputies for comprehensive contributions to the debate and assure them I will take the points made seriously.

Question put and agreed to.