Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2004
132 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself regarding the application of health and safety regulations at all sea or fishing ports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13881/04]
View answerThe position on the State port companies operating under the Harbours Acts 1996 and 2000, and the harbour authorities operating under the Harbours Act 1946, is that compliance with the law on health and safety is a matter for the company or harbour authority concerned.
Concerning the five fishery harbour centres, Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Rossaveel and Killybegs, directly under my control, health and safety regulations are applied on an ongoing basis by the harbour masters and other relevant staff.
133 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which safety checks take place on all seagoing passenger or other vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13882/04]
View answer134 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself regarding the seaworthiness of all vessels moving through or close to Irish waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13883/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.
As I have previously informed the House, standards governing the safety and seaworthiness of all vessels, both passenger and other vessels, are developed and adopted at international level, principally from the safety conventions of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, and from initiatives at European Union level.
Irish maritime law is continually updated to ensure that all the resulting EU directives and IMO safety conventions and resolutions are fully implemented. Under Irish and international law all vessels trading into and out of Irish ports are required to carry the appropriate certification to demonstrate compliance with the requisite international conventions and regulations applicable to ships of their size and type.
All EU registered vessels are subject to surveys and inspections by their flag states and, under the European Union's port state control system, all foreign-registered vessels using community ports are liable to inspections by any of the EU states they are visiting. The application of port state control ensures that at any given time a large number of ships operating within community waters have undergone an inspection by an EU port state control authority.
The surveying staff attached to the maritime safety directorate of my Department carries out the enforcement of all regulations. They inspect vessels, in accordance with the flag state and port state control regimes, to ensure that they comply with the safety standards laid down. The surveyors inspect Irish registered vessels at least annually.
Where a vessel is found not to comply then it is issued with a list of deficiencies to be rectified and it will not be permitted to leave port until the deficiencies have been addressed. During 2003, my Department's surveyors inspected 430 foreign vessels under the port state control system. Of these, 37 vessels were detained for non-compliance with the requisite international marine safety conventions. I believe that the monitoring of vessels by regular inspections is proving to be an effective measure in encouraging full compliance with international safety standards and that the vast majority of vessels into and out of Irish ports and waters are complying with international convention requirements.
