Vol. 518 No. 6
73 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if, following the investigation into the ramming of the fishing vessel mv Renegade on 25 July 1999, he has identified the merchant vessel involved; and the course of action he will take following the incident. [12906/00]
On Sunday, 25 July 1999, an unidentified vessel was in collision with the Irish fishing vessels mv Renegade in the Irish Sea, outside our territorial waters. The unidentified vessel which was heading on a southerly course did not stop after the incident. The mv Renegade was holed as a result of the collision and took water in the engine room. Pumps were put on board by the emergency services and these were used to lower the water level in the engine room and enable the vessel to reach port.
An investigation into this collision is being carried out under section 728 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, by a surveyor from the marine survey office of my Department and various lines of inquiry are being followed to try to establish the identity of the merchant vessel which collided with the mv Renegade. It is a basic tenet of maritime law that the flag state is responsible for the regulation of its vessels' behaviour in international waters. I am advised by the chief surveyor from the marine survey office that the flag state of a vessel suspected of being the other vessels involved in the incident has been contacted with details of the collision and requested to provide assistance to the marine survey office in its investigation. While some information has been forthcoming from the flag state concerned as a result of this contact, further information is awaited which it is hoped will establish beyond doubt the identity of the vessel which collided with the mv Renegade.
