Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been clear on multiple occasions that I am not seeking to legislate for LNG tankers. I am aware LNG tankers are covered. In fact, they are covered by the stronger provisions in the Merchant Shipping Act 2010. It is still not clear why in 2010 the Government was able to be definitive and talk about "shall", yet, a few years later, it has become so concerned with a different kind of practicality that it has been diluted to "may". I have been explicit about what is included in this Bill, namely, service vessels engaged - this is the language of the Bill - in offshore industrial activity related to the hydrocarbon energy sector. That is the fossil fuel energy sector, which includes LNG. It is the service vessels that may be involved in, as I think I outlined, the construction, repair, servicing and so on of LNG infrastructure. I am not talking about the tankers but about the vessels that will service the tankers and such other LNG infrastructure as may be introduced, but I hope will not be. That is explicitly clear. Ultimately, we have heard there is not a willingness to give guarantees that this category of vessel will not be allowed exemptions.

I accept the Minister of State's bona fides. It is good to hear there is a notification process where exemptions are applied. I will probably still press the amendment but that gives me some assurance in relation to the safety convention, if it is reflected in the rules, which we hope it will be. It is being said there may be new kinds of vessel and we want to provide a transition period. However, we are talking about a new and very dangerous industry that it is proposed to introduce to Ireland. There may well be kinds of service vessel that are slightly different from those we have had previously and that are designed to service the liquefied natural gas industry. In those circumstances, I want to be assured it will not be said that it is a new kind of vessel and should be exempted from the rules for now. That is my fear.

The Minister of State has informed us of a reporting structure relating to one category of exemptions but I am not assured. It may be misleading that his notes continually say this is not about tankers. We have said from the very beginning it is not. That is the 2010 legislation. We are talking here about service vessels for the hydrocarbon industry which, if the Government is successful in its U-turn on this issue, may include liquefied natural gas. That is why safety concerns are paramount. I make no apologies for saying there should be no exemptions in that area.