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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 4

Written Answers - Emergency Environment Protection Plan.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

293 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the emergency plan he proposes to put into operation in the event of major offshore pollution, such as an oil tanker disaster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6505/03]

Overall responsibility for marine pollution prevention, preparedness, response and management is assigned to the Irish Coast Guard. This includes responsibility for dealing with all aspects of oil pollution of the sea and coastal areas, and in particular: supervising the planning and implementation by local and harbour authorities of arrangements for the protection of coastal amenity, fishery or wildlife areas; the removal of oil from the coastline; and in the event of a major pollution incident, the direction and co-ordination of the on-shore response.

The Sea Pollution (Amendment) Act 1999 provides the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources with the legislative power to require harbours and ports, oil handling facilities, and maritime local authorities to submit contingency plans based on realistic risk assessment for approval by the coast guard. Templates for these plans have been provided to the harbour and port authorities. These contingency plans are part of the overall national plan, also required by the Act to which I referred, which is being prepared by the coast guard. The coast guard maintains national stockpiles of pollution response equipment at Killybegs, Castletownbere and Dublin. However, no country has sufficient State equipment to respond to every pollution emergency. There are commercial companies who will provide equipment on request and guarantee it will be on-site within 12 to 24 hours. Furthermore, Ireland has been invited to accede to the Bonn Agreement between north European countries, which provides for mutual support in marine pollution incidents.

Ireland is also a member of the EU pollution management committee, which can provide experts and facilitate support, for example pollution recovery vessels, drawn from other EU countries. The coast guard can call on its marine pollution response team in major emergencies. This team is made up of coast guard and marine safety directorate surveyors from my Department and local and harbour or port authority personnel. This team has managed emergencies very competently in the past. Marine pollution response in Ireland is continuously developing and co-operation between harbours and ports and local authorities and the oil companies is strongly encouraged and facilitated by the coast guard.

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