Vol. 472 No. 6
24 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for the Marine whether a full review of the implications for emergency management and inter-agency co-ordination here has been carried out in the wake of the Sea Empress incident; if so, the conclusions of such a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19905/96]
The management of a major emergency such as the Sea Empress incident could involve a wide range of specific, prioritised, linked interventions including, air-sea rescue, salvage which includes securing and towing a vessel, cargo transfer and pollution response at sea and onshore.
The official report of the Sea Empress incident, however, has not yet been published but it is expected to deal with serious issues in relation to management of such major marine emergency incidents, in particular, regarding the emergency response as the incident unfolded. In view of the high volume tanker traffic in the Irish Sea and the tanker traffic to our own ports we will be closely examining the response, conclusions and recommendations of the report when finalised with a view to helping to ensure that the casualty potential of these tankers is eliminated or controlled.
The Department of the Marine was kept fully informed on a daily basis of all aspects of the Sea Empress incident. The Irish marine emergency service, IMES, of my Department has been closely involved with the UK marine emergency services and the EU Commission and is in receipt of various scientific and technical papers and initial reports produced and published following the incident. During the early days of the incident IMES had a senior officer on-scene as an observer attached to the joint response centre and with the clean-up teams.
Essential elements for an efficient and effective prevention, monitoring and response to a Sea Empress type incident are the availability and capability of suitable emergency towing facilities, role fitted aircraft, sufficient trained and exercised technical, press and operational management personnel and sufficient appropriate response equipment.
We have, however, already in place contingency plans to respond to marine emergencies. These plans define the precise roles and responsibilities of the response agencies, local authorities, harbour authorities, on-shore and off-shore oil companies and central Government. The Irish marine emergency service has the authority to task all available resources within the State and call for whatever equipment, vessels and personnel which might be required from international sources.
