Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine the action he will take as regards a ship (details supplied) currently detained in New Ross; the number of marine inspectors employed by his Department; the number of spot-check inspections carried out annually; his plans to strengthen the inspection and invigilation of ships operating in Irish ports and waters; and his plans to work with our EU partner states to address the problems associated with vessels operating under flags of convenience and on strengthening EU wide regulations on pay and working conditions for maritime workers. [18938/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The mentioned ship MV Lilian is registered in Belize. The responsibility for the safety, rates of pay and living and working conditions on board this ship rests with the ship operator/ship owner and the flag state Belize. As a second line of defence my Department carries out port state control on such foreign flagged ships operating in and out of Ireland. Port State Control Officers from my Department inspected this ship in New Ross on the 15th of May, 2007. Several deficiencies were noted and as these posed significant risk to the safety of the crew the ship was detained. In accordance with international law it is now the responsibility of the flag state Belize to re-inspect the ship and to invite the Port State Control Officers of this Department to re-inspect it when all deficiencies have been rectified.

There are 21 marine surveyors in my Department who carry out such inspections. Annually we are obliged by EU Directive 1995/21, as amended, and the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, PMoU, to inspect 25% of foreign flagged ships visiting Ireland, our annual target in 2007 is 400 such inspections. The EU and the Paris MoU are developing a new inspection regime to improve the inspection process and to improve targeting and strengthen the port state control regime.

Ireland has an excellent relationship with our EU partners as well as others regarding such inspections. Ireland is a founding member of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control and currently Chairs the Paris MoU. There are 27 member states of the Paris MoU including all EU maritime states as well as Canada, Russian Federation, Iceland, Norway and Croatia.

Ireland attended the International Maritime Labour Conference in 2006 and voted in favour of the new Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention of the International Maritime Organization, which will strengthen the requirements for living and working conditions on board ships.