Bernard Allen
Ceist:87 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Marine the reason the Government have not signed the Athens Convention regarding damages on the high seas.
Written Answers. - Signing of Athens Convention.
The Government on 31 March 1992 authorised me to arrange for the drafting of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Ship-owners and Others) Bill, 1992. The Bill which will enable Ireland to accede to a number of liability conventions, including the Athens Convention relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea and protocols of 1976 and 1990 thereto, will be brought before the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity.
The reason why accession was deferred was to enable the Government to incorporate, in the necessary legislation, the terms of the 1990 protocol to the Convention which substantially increases the levels of compensation available to passengers. Both the B & I and Irish Ferries have incorporated the terms of the Athens Convention into their contracts of carriage on a voluntary basis.
The Brittany Ferries chartered vessel, the mv Havelet which was involved in a marine incident off the coast of County Cork recently is registered in the Bahamas which is a party to the Athens Convention.