Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
847. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address a series of matters in respect of the safety of oil tankers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8214/20]
View answerThe statutory requirements for the safety and pollution prevention measures for ships, including oil tankers, are set out in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions which include the SOLAS and MARPOL Conventions. Primary responsibility for compliance with international convention requirements rests with the ship owner and the Flag State Administration of the ship concerned. There are currently no oil tankers flying the flag of Ireland.
Regulation 37 of Annex I to the MARPOL Convention requires that every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above (and every ship other than an oil tanker of 400 gross tonnage or above), shall carry on board a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan, approved by the ship’s Flag State Administration. An International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate issued to a ship by the Flag State, or a Recognised Organisation acting on its behalf, certifies that the ship complies with the applicable requirements of Annex I of the Convention and the certificate must be carried onboard. A Record of Equipment is required to be attached to the IOPP Certificate which specifically deals with the compliance of the vessel with Regulation 37.
Matters in relation to the safety of oil terminals in the State are not within the remit of my Department and I understand that the Health and Safety Authority of the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation has a role in relation to the safety of such installations.
The port state control authorities of my Department do not have a role in relation to quarantine measures on board vessels or with shore leave arrangements; such matters are within the remit of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice and Equality, respectively.
In relation to the application of the special measures to enhance maritime security as set out in Chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS convention, for ships this is also a matter regulated by the Flag State Administration. An International Ship Security (ISS) Certificate issued to a ship by the Flag State, or a Recognised Security Organisation acting on its behalf, certifies that the ship complies with the applicable requirements of Chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention and the mandatory requirements of the IMO’s International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. In addition, in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on enhancing ship and port facility security, the Marine Survey Office of my Department requires that a for a ship intending to enter a port in the State, the following information is provided to it, prior to the arrival of the ship:-
- that the ship possesses a valid ISS Certificate and the name of its issuing authority;
- the security level at which the ship is currently operating;
- the security level at which the ship operated in the previous 10 ports where it has conducted a ship/port interface;
- any special or additional security measures that were taken by the ship in the previous 10 ports where it has conducted a ship/port interface;
- that the appropriate ship security procedures were maintained during any ship to ship activity carried out within the period of the last 10 port calls; or
- other practical security related information (but not details of the ship security plan), taking into account the guidance given in part B of the ISPS Code.
Ships that do not comply with the SOLAS maritime security requirements may be subject to additional controls, up to and including the refusal of access of a ship into Irish ports .
