Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this subject. I will address the immediate issue for those who are unaware of it. There was a meeting yesterday between my officials and representatives of the MSO and the NMCI and it appears they have reached an agreement on a solution to this problem. However, I take the point made by Deputy Martin, which is new to me. If there is a bad relationship between the two organisations concerned and if it is a permanently bad relationship, I will address it with the officials and find out what is happening. Obviously that could have led to this outbreak, although I am not saying it did.

One of the features of this row was that an extraordinary amount of political speed and agility was shown. I learned about it last Thursday or Friday night. Deputy Ferris asked me to intervene. I am not prone to intervening directly unless I have to, but I rapidly asked my officials to meet with the MSO people involved. They did that yesterday. It appears at this stage to have been sorted on agreeable terms. The implementation of it is still to be proven, but the action terms appear to be agreed. I will address the wider subject and if there is bad blood between these two organisations, let us address it. In the meantime, the intervention, the fact that they met and that there was not so much megaphone diplomacy meant it could be resolved to the satisfaction, I believe, of all parties involved in a very short time.

I will outline some of the background to this dispute and the parties involved. Ireland is a party to the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, STCW. This is the convention which regulates the safety of seafarers on a global basis. Ireland has been subject to evaluation by the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, which has confirmed that Ireland is giving full and complete effect to the provisions of this convention, as a result of which Ireland is placed on the IMO whitelist for the provision of maritime education and training.

We also comply fully with all our international obligations relating to mutual recognition of qualification in the maritime sector.

My Department, through the MSO, approves and certifies a number of providers within the State for the provision of training in accordance with the convention. This includes the National Maritime College of Ireland, which is the principal provider of seafarer training in Ireland. My Department also approves many other course providers that provide short courses in sea survival, boat handling and firefighting skills. The Deputies will appreciate that the provision of courses in line with an international convention in safety is one which is taken very seriously by my Department. The Deputies have raised an issue which has been the subject of a good deal of communications in recent weeks between SEFtec NMCI Overseas Training, the commercial partners of the National Maritime College of Ireland, among others, and my own Department. My Department has, at all times, endeavoured to engage constructively with what are sometimes sensitive and complex issues.

I am also aware that there have been media inquires during the past week to which we have provided responses, so I am happy to have this opportunity this afternoon, as Minister with responsibility for safety regulation in the maritime sector, to clarify a number of important issues on the record and for the benefit of Members of the House who may have concerns or inquiries on behalf of constituents. Let me at this point confirm that my Department, through the MSO, has approved the programmes mentioned by the Deputies in the National Maritime College of Ireland. The NMCI sought approval in 2015 for these programmes, which are mandated by the convention I mentioned earlier. The programmes cover a number of vital safety areas, including sea survival, boat handling and fire fighter skills. Full approval was granted in autumn last year in respect of two of the five categories sought. On the remaining three categories of courses, a final application was received in spring 2016. My Department has given preliminary approval to the NMCI to deliver these courses. Final approval is given when my Department officials attend the first programme and confirm that it is delivered in accordance with the approval. This is a normal practice when certain programmes are being approved.

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