Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

I move amendment No.1 to amendment No. 56:

In subsection (1)(b), to delete "€100,000" and substitute "ten per cent of annual turnover".

Given that there might be nuclear carriage on some ships, very significant offences could be involved here. Would the Minister be interested in going for 10% of turnover with the company in section 41? I would like him to up the fines on indictment to 10% of turnover as a major deterrent to companies.

Since we were last debating this Bill, we have seen the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which has turned into a national calamity for the US and for President Obama. We saw the value of the BP company collapse on stock markets yesterday, because people are estimating the fines and compensation that it will have to pay. The situation in the Gulf of Mexico is turning out to be the biggest environmental disaster at sea. This disaster reiterates how important it is for us to cover every conceivable angle in respect of major vessels bringing dangerous cargoes through our waters. There should be very significant consequences for the oil industry and related energy industries if they get it wrong, as BP clearly did.

Everybody hopes that something like this will never happen in Irish waters, but we have to be aware of it, hence this Bill. Perhaps the Minister should take fairly draconian powers to ensure that vessels and companies operating in our waters will comply with our environmental standards and with this Bill. I urge the Minister to go for the greater penalty of 10% of turnover. People might say that even that is very little. I noticed that President Obama and his agencies have begun criminal investigations into the behaviour of BP in the gulf, and its impact on the southern states of the United States. Will the Minister re-examine this for a final time and include strong measures in the legislation?

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