Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The reason the document is kept on the vessel is to enable someone at a foreign port to board and check it. I will examine this issue. It may not need legislation. I will examine whether one should ask for a copy on a non-statutory basis. We have much information on various vessels and perhaps we should include this document. A case can be made for the home state to have a copy in order that when a vessel is inspected at a foreign port, if there is a doubt about whether the document has been altered or is authentic, the authorities can check with the home port. We will pursue this point.