Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to reports that a company (details supplied) may acquire a ferry vessel to resume services between Cork and Swansea; the steps he will take to ensure the payment of adequate wage rates and protection of the employment rights of persons who may be employed on such vessel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19911/07]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 541: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made in regard to manning conditions for regular passenger and ferry services operating continuously between the same two ports in EU Member States in order that pay and conditions on such ferries should reflect the local situation thus making it possible for local workers to gain employment on ferries. [20520/07]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 541 together.

Primary responsibility for this sector rests with the Minister and Minister of State at the Department of Transport. I can advise the Deputies however that the terms and conditions of employment on board ferry vessels are linked to the State in which the ship is registered. In the case of workers employed on Irish registered vessels, the terms and conditions of those employees on the vessel are subject to the provisions of Irish law whether the ship is in Irish territorial waters or on the high seas. This would include legislation dealing with minimum wages. The conditions of employment, including minimum wages, of workers on board vessels under the Irish flag are governed by a comprehensive corpus of Irish employment rights legislation.

Primary responsibility for the inspection of ships rests with my colleague the Minister for Transport. I understand that where a vessel is engaged in a scheduled Roll-on Roll-off passenger service it is subject to inspection under the EU Directive 99/35/EC prior to the ship entering service. Any such inspection, covering safety issues, will entail a joint inspection involving surveyors from the Department of Transport and their counterparts in the UK or elsewhere within the EU, depending on the routes being served.

If the vessel is not registered in Ireland, it will also be subject to port state control inspections in Ireland by the Department of Transport. Such inspections cover safety, environment protection and International Labour Organisation Conventions. The latter covers the welfare of the crew (food, accommodation, hours of work etc) but excludes rates of pay. Regarding the first question, at this stage I understand that the Minister for Transport has not had any indication from the shipping company that this ship will be registered in Ireland.