Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is always a pleasure to have the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, here. However, I am disappointed that the senior Minister with direct responsibility for this issue is not present. It is the second time in the last two years that I have raised the issue of abandoned vessels in Irish waters and the Government's policy for dealing with the issue.

The Minister of State is probably very much aware of the abandoned vessel in Ballycotton in east Cork. It ran ashore on 16 February 2020. Cork County Council became the lead authority in ensuring it was handled safely. It is a huge vessel which has eroded and broken into two parts. It is sitting on the seashore. On Monday afternoon I met residents at the old bridge site in Kinsale where we looked at another vessel which has been tied to the quay for over 13 years. It is literally taking the quay wall with it into the sea. The local authority has no powers, finance or structure to deal with these issues. A plethora of abandoned vessels are literally littering our seashore. There is an ironic twist in this tale. Every Saturday morning people are out picking up litter on the beaches. There is a significant campaign by the locals to ensure that their shoreline is kept in an appropriate condition. However, the big hand of the State is doing nothing to ensure that the major vessels that are littering our seashore are taken away.

If there was an abandoned car in a housing estate, legislation exists to get that car moved within months. We do not have the same appropriate response from the Government to ensure that these vessels, which are eroding our environment and are a blight on scenic views, are removed. The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks was passed in 2007, but the Government has never enacted it. We need to ensure that we can empower, finance and put a plan in place to deal with the plethora of abandoned vessels on our shores. We have the technology to do it and we have the ability to do it, but we do not have the powers from the State to do it.

I am frustrated to be here again two years later with the exact same matter. At that time, I got a wishy-washy response with no detail about when the convention would be brought forward and no ability to ensure that the abandoned vessels in various harbours could be dealt with. I am frustrated to say the least. The local authorities should do much more, but for marine issues like this they do not have the wherewithal, finances or technical ability. It must be led by the Department of Transport. There needs to be a direct line to ensure that the Nairobi convention of 2007 is enacted. If that were enacted, we would have the legislative power to move forward to remove these vessels. At the moment it is not happening. I hope the Minister of State can give me a comprehensive response, but I am deeply disappointed that again the Minister for Transport has not turned up in this Chamber this morning.