Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 January 2021
69. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport when Ireland will have its own merchant navy record training book for Ireland's merchant navy engineering cadets, deck officer cadets and electrical cadets. [2224/21]
View answer70. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport the reason Ireland relies on the UK's Merchant Navy Training Board to set the standard of training for Merchant Navy engineering cadets, deck officer cadets and electrical cadets and rating training by virtue of a UK-made training record book for each discipline. [2225/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 70 together.
The standard of training in Ireland for maritime education and training is set by the International Maritime Organization’s Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping as implemented in EU law by means of EU Directive 2008/106, as amended, and further transposed into Irish law. The training for seafarers is approved by my Department and Ireland is currently listed as a “White Listed” country confirming that Ireland is giving full and complete effect to the provisions of this convention. The cadet training record books published by the International Chamber of Shipping and those published by the Merchant Navy Training Board are widely used by shipping companies and maritime administrations worldwide. As part of this, Ireland facilitates the use of the Merchant Navy Record Training book as a number of the cadets at the National Maritime College of Ireland are following careers with UK based companies and they use this record book as part of their company’s internal training procedures.
