Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Senator proposes the deletion of an exemption provision. This is a practical provision, however, and it makes sense to include it, given the various types of offshore vessel we will be legislating for. The Senator suggests that no exemptions should be permitted under rules implementing the safety convention and the IP code or for offshore service vessels involved in certain activities. I must point out that the safety convention itself has exemption provisions within it that recognise that features of a novel kind may be required for certain vessels. Such exemptions are permitted where the vessel complies with the necessary safety requirement as determined by the appropriate administration. It is not intended that this will be a default position but rather occurring in exceptional cases. The types of vessel we are talking about are new and evolving all the time, including in terms of how they are powered, so some flexibility is required. Therefore, I cannot accept these amendments.