Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Perhaps if I read the explanatory note on the section it might become clearer to both the Senator and me. Section 7 provides the Minister with power to make construction rules prescribing the requirements for the hull, superstructure, sub-division and stability, electrical installations, equipment and machinery of, and fuel use in passenger steamers. This term passenger steamers refers to passenger ships, namely, carriers of more than 12 passengers and to arrange passenger ships into different classes for the purpose of making construction rules having regard to their size, shape, speed or configuration, the services in which they are employed to the nature and duration of the voyage and the number of persons carried. The section applies to passenger steamers registered in the State or other passenger steamers while in the territorial seas or elsewhere in the State. It is made clear that the Minister may prescribe the extent, manner and frequency in which passenger steamers may be surveyed.

This section amends the 1952 Act. I refer the Senator to section 7(1) where it states the Act of 1952 is amended, substituting a new section in that Act. The purpose of this provision is to avoid confusion as regards use of the different terms and to make it clear that the references to passenger steamer that are contained throughout the construction rules in section 10 of the 1952 Act, which is being substituted by section 7 of this Bill, includes "passenger ship". This does not apply where the term "steamer" is used in subsection (1)(b) in respect of survey requirements. The reason for this exclusion is that the Merchant Shipping Act 1992 already provides for survey of passenger ships.

I do not know whether that makes the matter clear for the House. This section amends the 1952 Act and is separate from other sections of the Bill.