Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the recent inspections carried out by the International Transport Workers' Federation on board a ship (details supplied) whose shipments operate between the United Kingdom and Ireland, which resulted in the recovery of $168,871 for unpaid wages and the revelation of a number of other abuses of seafarers' rights; and if he will re-examine protections afforded to seafarers working in Irish waters. [43500/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The named merchant vessel is not registered under the Irish flag. The wages and conditions of employment of workers on board that vessel are, therefore, governed by the flag State's legislation (in this case, Jamaica) and neither I nor the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have any responsibilities in these matters.

I understand that the vessel is subject to Port State Control (PSC) inspections in Ireland under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/EU Directive 95/21/EC. PSC inspections, which are undertaken by Marine Surveyors of the Department of Transport, include, amongst other items, inspection of the vessels living and working conditions as regulated under the current International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and in this case ILO 147/ ILO 180, which Ireland has ratified.

As Deputies know, the Government has already communicated its intention to engage fully and effectively in the process of devising policies and measures which would protect employment standards and arrest a race to the bottom in terms of employment practices. I am confident that a successful response to these issues can be found for our economy, where the very particular legal and other characteristics of the marine sector do not apply. I believe they are best found within the context of a social partnership agreement, which continues the stability and progressive modernisation of our labour force and employment practices in order to sustain jobs and living standards. In this regard the Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" sets out a number of commitments with regard to the improvement of employment standards and compliance.

In addition to the measures contained in Towards 2016, a new Maritime Labour Convention was adopted in February 2006 at the 94th International Labour Organization in Geneva. Ireland fully supports the new Convention and voted in favour of the proposal.

At a national level Ireland has consistently supported the International Labour Organisation in its efforts to promote decent global labour standards for seafarers and was represented at the 94th Convention by a tripartite delegation consisting of government officials, nominees of the employers (IBEC) and of the workers (ICTU). The new Convention sets out clear principles and rights for seafarers.