Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I take on board fully the points made by the Senator and he is correct in what he said. Particularly as we move towards legislating for marine protected areas, there is an opportunity not only to introduce legislation but to make sure it is aligned on the protection of our marine environment.

In particular regarding the MV Alta, it was washed up on 16 February 2020 and Cork County Council took the lead in dealing with the wreck under the 1993 Act, as appropriate. The ministerial powers under the 1993 Act are indirect and refer to the appointment of authorised officers. It is the role of the appropriate authority, in this case Cork County Council, which has taken a number of steps to discharge its responsibilities under the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act 1993 by removing stores, including fuels and lubricants, from the vessel and engaging consultants to carry out a number of reports on the vessel.These included reports on the wreck compiled by a marine surveyor, an environmental and ecological impact study and an assessment of hazardous material, but I take on board the points made regarding the Nairobi convention, which will require a specific item of legislation for its enactment. It is timely and useful the Senator raised this issue here this morning.