Vol. 515 No. 6
75 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the compensation paid to his Department by the owners of the Dutch vessel, the Friesland, which caused a major oil pollution in a discharge off the Galway coast in January 2000 in view of the polluter pays policy of the Government; the number of metric tonnes of fuel oil discharged into the sea in that incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6652/00]
Information is at present being compiled on the costs incurred in the pollution response to the incident which occurred on 22 January 2000 when the Dutch fishing vessel the Friesland collided with the Spanish fishing vessel Jose Luisay Mary. It is estimated at this stage that the amount of compensation to be sought from the owners of the vessel will be in the region of £16,000, which will be paid by their protection and indemnity club insurance cover. I am satisfied that the quantity of oil spilled was very small – the best estimate I have received from the Dutch authorities is between one and two tonnes of oil – and that damage to the marine environment was minimal.
