Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue today. The Marine Survey Office, MSO, in my Department is the safety regulator for maritime transport in Ireland. One of its key responsibilities is the certification of vessels and to ensure the compliance of such vessels with the maritime safety requirements.

My Department cannot discuss individual vessels with third parties without the owners permission. The vessel in question, however, is a class VI passenger ship. The safety certification of passenger vessels in Ireland is set out in the Merchant Shipping Acts and consists of a number of classes of passenger vessels which set appropriate safety standards based on the number of passengers carried and areas of operation. Thus the Merchant Shipping Acts reflect the risk-exposure of passengers when being carried by sea and provide for different classes of passenger vessel of different sizes and areas of operation.

The vessel in question is a class VI passenger ship and the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction and Survey) Rules 1985 define class VI ships as those engaged only on voyages with not more than 250 passengers on board to sea, or in smooth or in partially smooth waters, in all cases, in favourable weather and during restricted periods, in the course of which the ships are at no time more than 15 miles, exclusive of any smooth waters, from their point of departure and no more than three miles from land.

Class VI passenger ship certificates are issued in accordance with section 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1992, as amended. Section 8 (1)(a) refers to the limits beyond which the vessel shall not ply being stated on the passenger ship certificate and for all class VI vessels, this will include the restrictions of proceedings no more than 15 miles from the point of departure and no more than three miles from land.

From a maritime safety perspective, in identifying suitable land to be used as a basis for plying limits, the MSO assesses if locations are suitable for the landing of passengers in an emergency and this would include the mainland or any island which is normally inhabited and which has piers or berthing facilities which are in regular use.

The Fastnet Rock lighthouse is 3.5 miles from Cape Clear Island. The Fastnet Rock is not considered as land for the purpose of the determination of plying limits, as it is not a place of refuge. It is a small uninhabited island without any landing facilities. It would inappropriate for the MSO to agree this as a suitable place of refuge.

For those reasons, the Fastnet Rock is not utilised by the MSO as a basis for issuing plying limits and class VI vessels are not permitted to operate there as it is more than three miles from land. Representations were made to my Department on this matter in August this year. The reply issued included alternative solutions to the matters raised.

I wish to advise that there are a number of passenger vessels of classes other than class VI which are certified for tours around the Fastnet Rock. These vessels are certified as different classes in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Acts and such vessels are compliant with the applicable maritime safety regimes and are offering tours around the rock.

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