Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

The Senator's point is important. These ships will finish up in Hartlepool in England, which is about 250 miles from our coastline. If we wanted proof of the type of gale force winds that have been experienced in recent times, we need only listen to the master of the Jeanie Johnston, who said his journey was troubled by force 10 winds. The ships mentioned by Senator Daly are coming from the USA, 4,000 miles away, and contain noxious substances such as PCBs, asbestos and heavy fuel oil. They are a time-bomb for our coastline. The intention was for 13 of these ships to sail to Hartlepool over a period of time and they have quite rightly been dubbed "ghost ships". The Minister has had discussions with the British authorities on this issue and is meeting the British ambassador today.

Legislation such as this is important in its own right. Much of the emphasis in recent legislation has been on sea pollution, particularly from the point of view of conforming to European Union protocols. We may conform to EU protocols, but what restrictions apply to the USA? Is the EU making it known to the USA that it is not prepared to accept vessels such as these approaching its coastlines? There should be an embargo on this activity. If the USA has a problem with vessels made in the early 1960s which are no longer viable, it should resolve it within its own country. It is big enough.