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Marine Safety

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2018

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Questions (437, 438, 453, 454)

Pat Casey

Question:

437. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will raise matters concerning a fishing vessel (details supplied) with his German counterpart in view of errors in a stability book issued by a German classification society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51924/18]

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Pat Casey

Question:

438. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has raised issues concerning a fishing boat (details supplied) with his German counterpart; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51927/18]

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Pat Casey

Question:

453. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the Marine Survey Office advised the committee on safe seas of possible dangers that nine fishing boats registered under EU flags may have the same or similar stability issues as an Irish fishing boat (details supplied); if the Marine Survey Office ascertained if the member states affected had been advised of same; if so, the remedial action the member states involved took in relation to these EU-registered fishing boats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51925/18]

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Pat Casey

Question:

454. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the Marine Survey Office did not follow up on a matter (details supplied) with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51926/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 437, 438, 453 and 454 together.

The Marine Survey Office (MSO) in my Department acts in the capacity of Safety Regulator for the maritime industry.

When the owner of the vessel in question sought to operate under the Irish Flag, the MSO became aware of serious safety issues relating to the stability of the vessel. Ireland has a national safety regime for such fishing vessels which is based on the Torremolinos Convention and EU Directive 97/70, as amended.

The registration process of another State does not come under the remit of this Department. However to ensure compliance with the relevant maritime safety regime, Ireland raised a safety alert in 2013 with the Committee on Safe Seas (COSS) which  deals with EU maritime matters  and also brought it to the attention of the European Commission. The net point of that alert was that there was likely a number of other similar sister vessels across the EU which would pose similar safety based risks.  I am aware that the European Commission communicated this risk to other relevant Member States and also attempted to secure some clarification with parties involved with the initial testing of the vessel.

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