Vol. 557 No. 4
110 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the steps being taken to ensure full implementation of the 1995 EU directive requiring mandatory safety checks on ships entering Irish ports, having regard to the proceedings against Ireland started by the EU Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22348/02]
The main aim of Directive 95/21/EC on port state control is to reduce drastically and ultimately eliminate the number of sub-standard ships in community waters. To this end, the directive agrees common criteria for inspecting ships which use a port of the Community. These criteria comply with the undertakings given by the authorities of the member states under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control. One of the directive's key provisions on port state control of ships lays down that at least 25% of the number of foreign ships entering the ports of a member state should be inspected.
On 26 June 2002 the Commission decided to bring an action in the European Court of Justice against France and Ireland for their failure to enforce legislation on the state control of vessels in their ports in respect of the year 2000.
Ireland's inspection rate has increased greatly over the past few years. Approximately 7.5% of foreign ships entering our ports were inspected in 1999, 14.6% in 2000 and a total of 21% of ships were inspected in 2001. In the year 2002 to date, 318 port state control inspections have been carried out in the State which represents an inspection rate of nearly 24%.
To enable Ireland to continue to meet its port state control obligations in the future ten additional vessel surveyors have recently been appointed to the maritime safety directorate within my Department. These new surveyors are currently undergoing training. The directorate is also developing a management information system to enhance the collection of data required for improved management of our port state control operations.
Port state control is a very effective measure in encouraging full compliance with international safety standards and I have asked the maritime safety directorate to give this work a priority. I am confident that Ireland will not only meet the target but will exceed the target of 25% in 2002.
