Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 is a perfect example of the reform that is needed. The Bill replaces an Act of the Oireachtas that is almost 60 years old and takes into account the changes that have occurred concerning maritime issues in that time.

Charges are regularly made against the Government that it is not pursuing reform speedily enough or it is not ambitious enough. There is also an insatiable appetite for radical and sensational reforms that are often not thought through. This Bill demonstrates that meaningful effective reform takes time, thought, consideration and consultation and I note that public consultation has been carried out on this issue.

The Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 contains a number of important and positive developments. It is welcome that all ships, with defined exceptions, be registered to operate in Irish territorial waters, as is the creation of a new centralised electronic Irish register of ships. Furthermore, section 24 demonstrates a welcome flexibility by putting in place a specific visitor registration for small craft scheduled to operate in Irish waters for less than three months. This provision is especially vital for marine tourism, a sector with substantial economic benefits.

Also evident in the Bill is the focus on safety, which is now so firmly at the core of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and championed by its Minister and Ministers of State. The provisions, such as those relating to the seaworthiness of vessels and the obligations for re-registration of vessels every ten years, mirror others, for example, relating to road safety, emanating from the same Department.

Section 17 deals with the appointment of registrars of ships, with subsection (4) empowering the Minister to appoint persons to carry out those duties. I note that the current arrangements for registration are undertaken by officers of the Revenue Commissioners and that this will continue until this Bill's various provisions have been put in place. It would be interesting to know the Minister's views on this and whether registration duties or functions will be placed with an existing State agency, or if a new one will be created. The former would be more appropriate in my view.

The issues of national flags, national colours and their display are addressed in sections 34 to 38, inclusive. These may seem antiquated or lacking in relevance to some, but the matter merits the focus and attention afforded to it. Aside from identifying vessels, particularly for an island nation, the use of registration for commercial benefit is also important. In the recent past, a commercial entity transferred the registration of its vessels from Ireland to other jurisdictions.

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