Vol. 577 No. 4
33 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the outcome of his meeting with the British ambassador on 12 November 2003 regarding the position of the so-called ghost ships, due to be dismantled in the UK, which are widely regarded as being a major environmental threat; the assurances he sought from the ambassador; the assurances he received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31277/03]
My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, met the British ambassador on 12 November last concerning the transportation of 13 old US naval ships to Britain for dismantling. The Minister had previously written to the UK authorities expressing the Government's concerns about the operation. The Minister informed the ambassador that the Irish Government is opposed to any further so-called "ghost ships" being transported across the Atlantic.
The Minister reiterated the Government's view that such operations exposed coastal states like Ireland to unnecessary risks. He informed him that he had already asked the EU Transportation Commissioner, Mrs. de Palacio, to consider what actions the EU could take to prevent a recurrence of this type of activity. The ambassador confirmed to the Minister that the UK would return the four vessels, two of which were already in Britain and two others that were on route at the time, to the US. He indicated that for safety reasons the vessels would be returned during the summer months.
The ambassador also acknowledged the concerns raised by the UK Environment Agency about the operation. He informed the Minister that the remaining nine vessels still in the USA would not be towed to the UK. However, he was unable to say what will eventually happen to them. The Minister made it clear that the Government would oppose any attempts to reactivate the project.
From the outset steps have been taken to minimise the risks posed to this country. Prior to the vessels leaving the US, the Irish Coast Guard received detailed information on the status of the vessels, including threats from hazardous materials, the seaworthiness of the ships and the planned routes. The Coast Guard monitored the progress of the tows on a daily basis. At no stage did the vessels enter Irish waters. The Government also ordered that aerial surveillance take place of the vessels during their transit off the south coast and a tug boat company was placed on standby in the event of any incidents.
This month the position adopted by the Minister has been vindicated by two UK High Court rulings. On 8 December the court ruled that the dismantling company, Able UK, did not have a valid waste management licence from the Environment Agency for the intended dismantling. On 15 December, in a related case, the High Court ruled that Able UK's planning permission from Hartlepool Council was not valid. Environmental risk was a key factor in both these cases. The Minister will avail of the opportunity of the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the EU to pursue any additional Community measures to prevent European waters being used in the future as a highway for vessels which pose such threats to member state coastlines and communities.
I commend the Minister on his actions, albeit belated. Will the Minister of State agree that the problem arose when the former US President, Mr. Bill Clinton, banned the export of old hulks from the Second World War and earlier to developing countries because of the incredible quantities of mercury, lead, asbestos and so on that were used to build them? Given that this was the case and that we knew these ships would be leaving Virginia, why did we not say at the time that this was an outrage and refuse to allow such vessels anywhere near our coast, whether they entered our waters or not? The Minister has been calling in ambassadors and appearing on television news programmes, but why did he not do this a long time ago, before these vessels left the USA?
The Minister of State has piloted a number of Bills dealing with sea pollution through the House and has spoken a number of times about the highly sensitive zone we hope to declare in our massive maritime territory. When will he introduce concrete proposals that can be examined in the House?
The Minister has been concerned about this issue from day one. He raised it with the UK ambassador and also, on 7 November, took up the case with the US ambassador, Mr. James C. Kenny. I attended a meeting with the Commissioner for Transport and Energy, Ms Loyola de Palacio, at which we made it clear that this is not just an Irish problem but one for the whole EU and that she should consider introducing legislation, or a system within the EU, to stop this happening in the future. The Minister requested that EU member states bind together to deal with this issue and that the USA consider other options for the disposal of ships on the grounds that there is a risk in their taking long journeys through EU waters. We also expressed to the Commissioner our view that the dismantling of such ships and making safe their hazardous waste, while it is necessary, should be carried out in their countries of origin.
During our forthcoming EU Presidency this will be a priority issue for the Minister, who will be seeking common ground within the EU to deal with it. The Taoiseach will also take this up at the highest level in the US and with the British Prime Minister to ensure that countries such as Ireland, which have no involvement in these matters, are not threatened by ships such as these. The Minister will take it from here and see what he can do during our Presidency to ensure something like this cannot happen again.
Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
