The Minister should raise the issue at EU level, especially in the context of the international convention. If there was an incident involving one of these "ghost ships", with huge expenditure arising for the State authorities, it should be possible to claim this back from the convention and from countries such as the USA which have some responsibility in this area. Those behind this outrageous act of irresponsibility should be held liable in the event of an occurrence which results in damage to our environment or fishing areas. If this or any other legislation does not hold the USA, which is the owner of these vessels, responsible or liable for damage arising from an incident involving them, some provision should be made to ensure it does hold them responsible, and to extend the terms of the international convention to cover incidents of this nature.