John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

Like Senator Donohoe and the Minister, I welcome the Bill because as, we all know, there have been tragedies at sea. One wonders how many of them could have been avoided had there been proper regulations in place. Tragedies at sea occur regularly.

I wish to mention one or two issues. Access for disabled passengers is to be welcomed, as every Senator present has come across cases where access to vessels was not at the level desired. I, therefore, welcome full regulation of this matter.

Ships are regularly detained in port because wages have not been paid to seafarers. This problem is not of our making, since we can only regulate for Irish-flagged ships. Slave labour is being used on some international ships. People sign up for long periods and cannot leave their ships, although we can understand the obvious reasons for the latter. This practice is wrong and should be examined internationally. We should take the opportunity to ensure a minimum amount is paid to seafarers. Minimum wage rates for other forms of labour are to be found across the European Union. Any ship trading into the Union should be forced to consider the prospect of paying EU-level wages and salaries. In some sad cases the State or even unions must pay to fly someone who has been left semi-destitute by unscrupulous boat operators home.

We are all worried about safety. Ships are regularly detained in port because of their poor standards. It should be mandatory for a boat above a certain age to undergo the equivalent of an MOT on a regular basis. We should pursue this issue internationally to help protect various communities. We can all remember tragedies in which boats ran aground because of the lack of proper navigational equipment and caused environmental damage. Current events in the Gulf of Mexico are probably enough to ensure something similar will not be caused by shipping.

The Bill makes regulations for liquefied petrol gas, LPG, and other products. What is the position on the transport of oil and other products by ship? Incoming regulations will require all new ships to be double-hulled to ensure they are bunkered. While this issue must be examined, the main focus of the Bill must be on unsafe ships. "Rust bucket" is the best way to describe some of the vessels operating under illicit flags. Certain airlines are not allowed to fly into parts of the European Union for safety reasons. Perhaps the same should be considered in terms of the rust buckets that enter our waters and ports. If we are to protect our environment, it is important that we do so on every level, not for specific reasons alone.

Like me colleagues, I welcome the Bill and wish the Minister well with it. He might consider some of the issues I have raised prior to Committee Stage.